Makeshift beds and Morphine
by sparkly green nail polish
Summary: Waking up and realising you're alone is always painful, especially when a loved one promised they would be there. It's in the aftermath when you find out who's really important. Rated for language, just to be safe. COMPLETE
1. Blinding White

**DISCLAIMER; Don't own, don't sue. Simple as that.**

**A/N: This is my first try at TFATF fandom, and I'm not entirely sure if I'm happy with it or not. But either way, I'm bored and it's something to do. Constructive criticism is welcomed.**

A dull ache woke him up, a hot heat pushing up through the skin of his side.

The first thing he heard was a quiet beeping and a soft lulling noise that sounded suspiciously like rain on a window pane. It was entirely too quiet. No muffled voices, no loud music... Only quiet. Just the soft patter of rain outside on the window, followed seconds later by the muted rumble of thunder.

Vince shifted slightly, the heavy weight of blankets confusing him for a second. _Where am I? Why can't I move?_ His brain screamed at him. He moved to sit up, a sense of frustration sweeping over him when he found he lacked the strength to do so.

Blue eyes flickered open, blinded by the starkness of the room around him. White. Everything was white. Even the blankets that weighed so heavily on his body were a stark, blinding white. It only took him a moment to realise that he was curled on his side, his right arm propped on a pillow, palm up, in front of him while his left was tucked underneath his chin. He blinked slowly, the languid, heaviness in his limbs subsiding slightly as consciousness slowly came back to him.

_Hospital. I'm in a hospital. Fuck.. I feel sick_, he thought to himself; eyes squeezing shut against the pain that was beginning to flare up his arm.

It started at the heel of his palm, spiralling upward along his forearm, over his elbow and clear all the way to his shoulder, then seemed to retrace it's initial path and start all over again.

Taking a deep breath, Vince clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut even tighter against the pain, praying to any God that would listen to make it stop. Instead, when his fingers gave an involuntary twitch, it intensified.

Too weak to roll over, he instead curled tighter forward and dipped his head lower, pushing it into the soft pillows with a whimper as the stiches on his side gave an indignant tug. He gave a soft yelp of pain, burrowing as deep into the softness of the bedding as he could without jolting his arm further.

"Oh god, oh Jesus," Vince gasped deeply, ears barely registering the hurried thud of approaching footsteps. He gave a short, breathless growl. "Fuuuck."

Within seconds he could feel hands on his shoulder, rolling him just enough to let the light seep down into the cocoon of blankets and pillows he had burrowed into. Immediately, he let out another guttural curse and thrashed away from the invasive hands.

"GET OFF ME!" He screamed. He then let out a loud howl of pain as his arm jerked against the railing at the side of the bed and he felt a wet, burning tear underneath the bandages on his side.

"Sir! Sir, you're going to have to take a deep breath and calm down! SIR! YOU'RE GOING TO DO YOURSELF HARM!" A younger nurse shouted at him when he continued to struggle. More hands now. One set pinning his legs against the bed, another gripping his wounded arm and yet another holding his shoulder down.

"I _**don't**_ CARE! LET ME THE FUCK GO!"

By now his throat was dry and stinging from screaming and the sudden hit of adrenalin was making his head spin. Combine the head spin, sore throat and the pain from his arm and side and he was in agony.

A warm hand brushed over his head, soothing him just enough for the nurse to get a grip of his left hand and inject a dose of morphine into his cannular.

Vince moaned into his pillow, muscles turning to liquid as the drug started to take affect. The grip on his legs, arm and shoulder relented and now only one set of hands remained. The ones stroking his head gently, like a mother would a small child.

"My stitches," he mumbled sluggishly, "I think I tore my stitches."

The blanket lifted off his side and the cool air hit his bare skin instantly. Unable to control himself in his weakened state, he began to shiver, a groan escaping his lips.

"It's alright honey, I know it's cold but I'll be as quick as possible." A quiet, matronly looking nurse smiled gently at him, then went back to his gunshot wound. A few minutes passed then the blanket was replaced and another spread out over the top.

"There you go," she glanced at his chart, "Vincent. A good strong name for a strong man. It suits you, dear."

He blinked at her, the lump in his throat getting bigger and bigger until tears started to leak from his eyes. Vince swallowed thickly as he watched the older woman fussing over him like his mother used to, having a difficult time getting a reign on his emotions. Feeling foolish, he turned his face away and started to lift his good hand up to wipe away the moisture, only now noticing the I.V. and the tubes in his nose. Long, callused fingers tried to tug at the tubes, but he was still too weak and his frustration only served to make the tears fall faster.

After five minutes of fidgeting, he gave up and looked at the silently working nurse. He wished he could swear and abuse the older woman, but for some reason, he was unable to. He could not abuse the only person willing to help him get situated comfortably and who was now preparing a follow up shot. One that would help him off to sleep.

After she injected it into his I.V., she gave him a motherly smile, wiped his face with a tissue and asked, "Can I get you anything?"

Vince sighed quietly, nuzzling down into the warmth of the blankets, his mind going slightly hazy.

"I want Mia. She," he was cut off by a huge yawn ", she said she would come for me."

The nurse gave him a bemused, sorrowful look. "I'm sorry sweetheart, but there's nobody out there."

He blinked back a fresh set of tears, staring sadly at the gentle old woman. "…Nobody?" At her response, he screwed his eyes shut. "…I want Mia."

"How about you go to sleep and while you're out, I'll see if I can hunt her down?"

With all the remaining energy he had, Vince opened his eyes and fixed her with a solemn, broken smile.

"It doesn't matter… She never loved me anyway."


	2. Familiarity

_**A/N: Thankyou for all the kind reviews on the first chapter of this fic. I wasn't sure at first whether I wanted to continue this or not, but I've been thinking about it and I've decided to write as much of it as I can.**_

_**This chapter is bought to you by the wonders of Insomnia, Black Hawk Down (don't ask me how it inspired me, but somehow it did) and the songs "Missing" by Evanescence and "Black Sunday" by Cold. Both are beautiful songs. If you haven't heard either of them I recommend you find a way to do so.**_

Vince coughed weakly, groaning as the cool cloth wiped over his neck and face. It was one thing to throw up like a bitch after drinking too much, but it was another to wake up and realise that you were mid hurl.

"Do you think you're finished now?" A calm, unfamiliar voice asked him as another cloth was draped across the back of his neck. He grunted his response, eyes shut to the scene he was sure he did not want to see. Some nurse looking at him with pity in her eyes and vomit everywhere. _How dignifying_, he thought to himself, barely able to hold himself up long enough to be relocated into a nearby chair. His side was aching from being hunched over while he retched but thankfully his arm remained comfortably numb.

There was some muffled noise, then talking as he started to fade out of consciousness.

"Look, he's not about to let me clean him up. The man is a brute."

Some muted laughter. "Nah, you just gotta know how to talk to him. I'll help him out."

Vince's brows furrowed, his entire body limply curled up beneath a pre-heated hospital blanket. More tired than he expected, he let his head droop forward, chin resting on his chest as he tried to place the voice through the haze. _Not Mia.. Not Leon.._

A warm hand brushed his cheek in only the way a woman could. "Come on, Coyote. Let's get you cleaned up, man."

He groaned. "Letty? S'at you?"

"Yeah, boo. Come on. Up." He could hear her quiet grunt as he tried to help her lift the bulk of his weight out of the chair, guilt instantly washing over him. As much as he tried, he couldn't seem to lighten the load for her at all. He was just too damn weak.

" 'M sorry, Let."

Letty smiled, helping him into the adjoining bathroom and sitting him on the toilet seat before carefully leaning him against the wall. "You got nothin' to apologise for, Vince. Not a damn thing."

She took a step back and looked at him. Really looked at him. He looked a mess in his dingy hospital issue pyjama pants and stark white bandages. His normally toffee coloured skin was a few shades paler than usual and his eyes were glassy and vacant, dark circles beneath them. There was still dried blood flaking off his skin near his right shoulder and down his left flank and around onto his back. The doctors had only cleaned up the general area of his wounds to be able to fix him, but the rest of him was still fairly grubby. He was sticky with sweat and other less than pleasant things. Letty took a deep breath, then let it out slowly and grabbed a nearby towel and some wash cloths the nurse had left her.

"Ok, Coyote. Now we can't get those dressings wet, so you have to stay still alright?" she asked him, taking a gentle hold of his face to make him look at her. Hazed blue eyes flitted around the room then finally settled on her face. He looked beyond confused.

"Letty?"

She nodded slightly, "Yeah, boo?" The blood was coming off fairly easy. Her lip curled at the state of him. _Fucking hospitals, look at him!_ She held the rapidly browning cloth under the tap and wrung it out, then carefully started rubbing at a spot on his neck. His head lolled to the side.

"You love me, right?"

Her head jerked up to look at him, shocked at the pain she saw on his face. "Of course I do, sweetie. You're rude, moody, arrogant and gorgeous. What's not to love?"

He blinked at her, seemingly lost in his own thoughts for a minute. "… Why doesn't Mia love me then?"

Letty felt a growl bubbling up in her chest and stood so she was straddling his thigh, then leaned him towards her so she could wash his back.

"Because Mia is a moron. She is a selfish, petty moron. Just like her brother." She spat, careful to avoid all areas that were taped, bandaged or covered in some way. "Neither of them are worth our time any more."

His face was pressed into her stomach, his hands hanging limply by his sides. Wordlessly, she threw the wash cloth down and wrapped her arms around his broad back, then dropped a kiss in the top of his head.

"You ok, sweetie?" she asked, tilting his chin to look at him. Letty swore aloud. If there was one thing that made her cry it was seeing a fully-grown man in tears. Especially this one. Vince never cried. He hardly ever showed any emotion that strayed too far from anger. Needless to say, seeing him looking all hurt, lost and defeated broke her already aching heart.

"We'll be alright, Vincent." She stroked his head gently, then picked up a new wash cloth and wet it. "We'll be ok."

Vince's breath wheezed out of his chest, left hand curling in the fabric of her pants just above the knee when she moved to take a step back.

"Please don't leave me, Letty. I didn't mean to screw up so bad.." he sobbed quietly, pushing his head further into her stomach.

Letty ran a panicked hand over his head, desperately trying to calm him down before she started howling right along with him. With her arms wrapped around his neck, she rocked him back and forth like you would a crying child, her hand smoothing down over his tangled hair and onto his bare back.

"I wont leave you, boo. I'm not leaving you behind. Not ever."

* * *

"Got him off to sleep, I see." 

Letty jumped at the sudden noise and spun around in the chair to look at the newly arrived nurse. Her dark eyes studied the older woman for a second, then moved back to Vince's sleeping form.

"I think it was more the drugs than me." She said softly, not wanting to wake him. It had taken a good half hour to convince him that she wasn't about to leave after he went to sleep.

She had been in Mexico for a week when she found out about Jesse. A week and neither Mia nor Dom had told her or Leon about Jesse being shot. Both of them had thought he was back in LA with Vince, sticking around the older man so he wasn't left alone. Imagine their shock and horror when they found out that Jess was dead and Vince was laid up in hospital, drugged out of his mind all alone. Both she and Leon had packed their things and left in the middle of the night without a word. If Vince and Jesse didn't deserve any consideration, neither did Dom and Mia.

The elderly nurse sat in a chair on the opposite side of the bed and looked at Vince with a look of quiet contemplation.

"Are you Mia?" she asked. Letty's head snapped up angrily.

"No I fucking am not. That stupid bitch comes anywhere near him and I'm gunna knock her on her ass myself." She snarled, her distaste for the woman obvious. The nurse blinked at her, shocked.

"I see. I only asked because he was asking for her when he woke up last week is all. Poor dear was so scared."

Letty watched Vince shift in his sleep when the nurse stroked his head slowly, his face turned away from her slightly. The old woman held some sort of affection for him, that much was obvious.

Letty sighed and wrung her hands. "What happened? …When he woke up, I mean."

The nurse, Juliet her name tag said, shook her head slightly and her eyes softened. "He had a full blown panic attack. The pain he was in must have been close to excruciating and I don't think he knew what was happening. He hurt himself and two of the recovery staff in his efforts to keep them away. He doesn't know anyone was hurt though." She gave a small laugh, "None of the nurses like attending to him now."

Letty snickered at that one, envisioning the nurses cowering away from Vince in his current state. He could barely move on his own let alone harm someone at the moment. A thought crossed her mind suddenly.

"Is he gunna be a'right? Will he be able to drive, work, that sort of thing?"

Juliet fixed her with a firm look. "That depends. Once he's physically fit enough to be evaluated we'll find out the extent of damage done. However, no matter what the outcome may be he is going to need help and support. A lot of support."

There was an awkward silence as Letty took in all that was said. It was only broken when Juliet's watch gave a loud beep. The older woman stood, smoothing her slacks unconsciously.

"I have to get back to work," she moved around the bed to stand beside Letty, "I trust you'll be here again?"

Letty nodded, "Of course. I made a promise and I plan on keepin' it." She said, eyes straying back to Vince. Juliet smiled brightly and held out her hand.

"Well then, I'm Juliet."

"Leticia… Letty." she shook her hand, impressed by the older woman's hand shake.

Juliet stepped away, her smile making her look years younger. "I'll be seeing you then, Leticia. You take good care of my boy, you hear?"

Letty smirked as she nodded back. "I will." Once Juliet was gone she turned back to Vince and rested her cheek on the bed beside him, settling in to wait for him to wake up again.


	3. I Walk Alone

**_A/N: Again, Black Sunday. Get it. Listen to it. Boulevard of Broken Dreams played a big part in the mood for Leon in this part too.. So, go listen. Go on. Shoo! _**

**_P.S. I know nobody really reads these, but I just wanted to thank everyone who's reviewed so far. Your reviews give my muses a nice kick in the butt that they just can't ignore. Thankyou._**

Leon stared vacantly at the concrete in front of him, callused fingers dragging back and forth across the rusty looking stain. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there, only that the sky had turned from a beautiful bright blue to an ugly, morose grey. Then the rain had started. Then stopped. Then started again with renewed vigour. The water was making the dried up blood soften and liquefy beneath his fingers, leaving a watery, brownish red substitute for Jesse's blood smeared on his fingertips.

Jesse had bled out. Right there on the footpath in front of him. And he hadn't been there to help him.

"Fuck Jess.. I'm sorry."

Leon unfolded his legs and lay down on his side, palm laying flat in the watery substance, mindless to the rumbling thunder overhead or the icy rain. He was soaked to the bone and knew he was going to get sick if he stayed where he was, but he couldn't bring himself to move. This was the only place that he still had a part of Jesse to cling to. He had called around to everybody he knew to see if they could give him the whereabouts of Jesse's grave, but no-one had been able to shed any light on the matter. Nobody knew where his little brother was lain to rest. So all he was left with was a blood stain and a slab of concrete. The Jetta had been seized by the Police and was currently impounded down town. Morbidly, he wondered if the city council would object to him erecting a pseudo grave right there in the middle of the path. He gave a small snort of laughter at the thought. The laughter soon turned hysterical, then to tears. The tears soon turned to out and out sobs and he broke down completely there in the street, curled into the wet concrete and blood stained water. He was alone now and it was so painful it hurt to breathe.

* * *

Leon blinked sluggishly, his head pounding like he'd been partying non stop for the past week. He was met by darkness, the smell of rain thick in the air and the sound of distant traffic rolling over the water soaked tarmac.

"Shit," he groaned, sitting up carefully, "Musta fallen asleep." He mumbled, rubbing the place on his cheek he was sure was both red and grazed from rubbing against the rough concrete. Looking around, he noted that the street lights were all out, despite the neighbourhood being bathed in darkness, and Letty's car wasn't in the driveway. _She must still be at the hospital_, he thought, wincing when his knees cracked as he stood.

"Some fuckin' neighbours." He muttered spitefully, scowling. He could have been hurt and nobody had moved to check on him in over three hours. That's how long he'd been out for. He wondered how long Jesse lay there before somebody realised he was dead.

The steps up onto the porch took more out of him than he expected, but the staircase inside was worse. He was tired, cold and sore from sleeping on the cold footpath in the freezing rain and nothing sounded better than curling up under his down quilt after a long hot shower. But he couldn't do that. After checking his watch quickly he went and got in the shower and sat there until he didn't feel cold any more then went to get dressed.

"What do you wear to visit a hospital?" He asked himself out loud, in the end settling for a pair of jeans and a dark green sweater, the sleeves pushed up onto his forearms. Pulling on a pair of old hiking boots, he ran a hand through his damp hair quickly before grabbing his keys, wallet and cell, then headed out the door.

Visiting hours finished at nine Letty said on the message on his phone. He still had a good two hours until then, so he took his time getting to the hospital and stopped to get he and Letty some coffee, languidly climbing out of the car after parking next to Letty's car.

On the way up to Vince's room, he thought about the message he'd gotten from Let, her voice shaky and quiet. She sounded upset and afraid when she'd rattled off the room number and visiting hours. Leon only hoped she was in a better state now than she had been a couple of hours ago. He decided against telling her about his little nap, knowing it would only worry her more than necessary. She'd been a lot more affectionate and motherly since the accident.

As soon as he stepped off the elevator he noticed a couple of younger nurses over by the small office staring at him, but kept on walking. The only woman that got his attention as of late was Letty. He was too busy keeping her afloat to have time for anyone else.

"Excuse me, sir? Is there anything we could assist you with?"

Leon stopped walking and turned, gazing at the two smiling women. One was kind of short and blonde, but curvy in every way that mattered, the other a little taller and brunette. The brunette lacked a waist. Seriously. Both were attractive women and from the looks of it they knew it too.

He quirked an eyebrow and scowled. "Did I stop and ask for directions?"

The brunette's smile wilted slightly. "Well, no. We just thought as we haven't seen you in here before, you might need some help."

"Oh, you did?"

The blonde moved from behind the desk and walked closer, hips swaying with each step. Leon sighed and closed his eyes. He wasn't in the mood for this sort of thing. If this had happened a few weeks earlier, he would have jumped at the chance and would be half way to the car with both of them by now, but it didn't and he wasn't.

"Look," he interrupted as she started to open her mouth, "I want no part of either of you. So you can just forget whatever it is you're about to say and back the fuck off." He snapped, aggravated. He inwardly cringed at how much of a bastard he sounded like, but couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for it. Ignoring the look of contempt coming from the blonde, he spun on his heel and stalked down the hall toward Vince's room.

_Room 243, 245… 247b._

He froze in the doorway, reminding himself to stand up, blindly reaching out to grab the doorframe. He hadn't gotten a real good look at Vince that day on the truck. All he could see then was Vince's bulky form swinging from the thin wire cable and a lot of blood. He was too far away to see anything in great detail. Looking at the big man now, he was grateful that he missed it. There was a nurse on the opposite side of the bed, facing him, but she had her head down concentrating as she peeled some bloody gauze from Vince's forearm, never once offering a word of comfort to the obviously uncomfortable man on the bed. The top half of his arm was already exposed, making Leon think she had been at it for a while now. The wounds looked red and angry, never a good sign. Letty was nowhere in sight.

"Please.. It hurts!" Vince moaned, crying out when a patch of gauze that had stuck to the wound was ripped off. Sweat was beaded on his forehead, the moisture making his already unruly hair damp.

The nurse scoffed. "A man your size should be able to handle a little bit of pain! Stop acting like a baby!" She snapped, absently wiping away the blood that oozed from the wound.

"I want Letty!" He screamed back at her, trying in vain to move away from her strong grip.

"Mr. Orello! You **will** lay still and cooperate or-"

Leon finally found his voice. "Let him the fuck go." He was almost surprised at how dangerous he sounded himself. The nurse looked up in shock, stumbling over her words for a response. Vince on the other hand was reaching out for him with his good hand, painfully distressed. Moving quickly, Leon put the cardboard coffee tray down on the small bedside table and took Vince's hand in his, shocked at the insistent tugging that pulled him closer until he was practically on the bed. He glared hotly at the nurse.

"Leave whatever it is that I need to fix his arm over there and get out."

She spluttered, "But sir, it's against hosp-"

Leon saw red. "Get the fuck out before I slap you with a malpractice suit! You're supposed to take care of him, not cause more damage!" By now, Vince was close to tears and his arm was oozing blood in some places, a thick watery fluid in others. It didn't look good at all.

"Sir, you cannot just walk in here and-"

Unable to ease himself out of Vince's grip, he straightened and looked at her with a blank, eerie expression. When he spoke, his voice was deadly quiet.

"Get out now. Before I forget that you're a woman and do something I may regret."

She blinked at him. "You wouldn't."

A dry, humourless laugh escaped him. "Lady, with the past few weeks I've had, I'm not sure there's anything I wouldn't do. **Get. Out.** "

Following her out of the room with his eyes, he turned back to Vince, eyes softening instantly. "How ya doin', Pumpkin?"

The bigger man had never looked more pathetic and to top it off, he was hot to touch. Hotter than he should have been.

"I hurt."

Leon nodded, prizing himself from Vince's grasp to move around to the other side of the bed to where the abandoned medical supplies were. "This don't look good, dawg." He leant down, eyeing the weeping wound.

"I'm usually asleep for this part."Vince mumbled, embarrassed. He flinched when strong fingers pressed the edges of the wound together.

Leon looked up through his brows, green eyes meeting blue. "You been a bad boy, Vincent?"

"I don't know… They keep me drugged all the time. I can barely remember my own name." He admitted quietly, eyes downcast.

"Well I ain't no expert, but I think this is infected." Leon muttered, reaching for some cotton wool and the bottle of hydrogen peroxide. He steeled himself for the reaction he would get, apologising over and over as he poured the liquid over his friends bloody arm.

"It's alright, V," he soothed, feeling slightly strange coddling the older man, "It'll stop hurting soon. Hey, come on now… No tears, V." Cleaning the area as quickly and thoroughly as possible, he squeezed out an entire tube of lignocaine over the open wound and pressed the gauze patches over the top. He picked up a rolled up bandage then wrapped the entire arm from palm to shoulder. The fact that Vince could feel the pain but wasn't able to move his arm very well failed to escape him. Just as he was taping down the ends, Letty walked in holding a McDonalds bag. Her eyes widened at the sight of them.

Leon knew he looked dishevelled from running his fingers through his hair and he was pale. Inflicting pain upon Vince had made him feel like throwing up.

"What happened!"

She was beside the bed now in exactly the same place Leon had been fifteen minutes ago.

"Some nurse was practicing her torture methods on him when I walked in."

Blinking back tears, she leant down, nuzzling Vince's cheeks and dropping kisses over his face. "I'm sorry, boo. I didn't think you would wake up so soon.. I'm so sorry…"

Leon slowly stepped back, watching the two. He wasn't needed any more. Suddenly, that empty, alone feeling came rushing back. He brushed the small but painful abrasion on his cheekbone, then reached into his pocket for his keys.

"I might go, Let. I'm not needed here."

She looked up at him with wet, dark eyes, "Le, what are you talking about? Where are-" but he was already out the door.

"Did I do something wrong?" Vince asked, unsure of himself. That in itself was something that would take a lot of getting used to. Letty shook her head, eyes soft, but confused when she looked at him.

"Course not, V. Now," she sat up straighter, "How's about you tell me who the nurse was that was in here when Le arrived, hmm?"


	4. Starless

**A/N: By far not my best, but it covers a few things I wanted to get over and done with. Again.. Thankyou for the reviews! .. please don't pelt me with rotten tomatoes ..**

It was late by the time Letty got home, her head aching from the emotional wringer the last twenty four hours had put her through. She eyed the seemingly empty driveway for a minute, then paused her ascent up the yard. A dull, barely there glimmer of blue caught her eye just as a cloud moved to uncover the moon.

"He didn't.." she crept forward, a hand coming up to cover her mouth. There, tucked safely up in front of the garage was Vince's Maxima. It hadn't been there when she left for the hospital this morning. Leon must have gone and gotten it during the day sometime.

She shook her head slightly and walked up the back steps, unlocking the door as quietly as possible. The silence inside the house was deafening, all the lights out, television off. Sparing a glance at the clock, she noticed that it was only eleven thirty. She smiled slightly. Leon always had been the one to head off to bed earlier than everyone else. The man loved to sleep and hated to wake up. Hell, she would too if she had a bed as comfy as his.

Not feeling like heading off to bed yet, she turned toward the basement door and tread as lightly as possible down the stairs, skipping over the ones she knew would creak. It was even darker down here than upstairs. There were no windows to let in any light whatsoever, so Vince and Jesse had installed little touch lights at random intervals. Each one barely even bright enough to be classified as lights. More like a barely there glow. Dom had argued at the futility of the gesture, but the three basement dwellers were more than happy with it. All three of them were more comfortable in the darkness than the bright lighting of upstairs. It never failed to amuse her when she saw Vince, Jesse or Leon emerge from the dark stairwell with their arm over their eyes, wincing at the sudden brightness. It had been their refuge, a place to escape from the world. There was always sound of some kind coming from one of the three bedrooms, whether it was a television that was left on, music or the tapping of a keyboard. Not now though. The silence was so thick it was stifling.

Once she reached Leon's door, Letty knocked gently, then pushed the door open and poked her head inside. Sure, his car wasn't there, but it didn't hurt to check.

"You here, Le?" Inky black darkness pushed at her, cold and uninviting. She waited a minute for his response, moving inside when she received none. "Leon?" her fingers brushed over one of the many touch lights, this one just on the inside of the door. A dull, barely there glow illuminated the immediate area she was in just enough for her to make her way over to the bed without tripping over. It was empty. He wasn't home.

Silently, she crawled up onto the bed, her knees sinking into the pillow top mattress, the down quilt making that soft crinkling sound she loved so much. Curling herself around one of the continental pillows, she closed her eyes and inhaled. The room itself smelled like a mixture of some expensive cologne she couldn't place, peppermint and grease. A smell that every man living under this roof at any point all shared. It was comforting.

"_I'm not needed here.."_ Letty frowned. Why had he said that? Of course he was needed. Leon was her rock as of late. He kept her sane. Damn straight he was needed. **She** needed him.

Hugging in closer to the pillow, Letty sighed. As soon as they made the turn into their street two days ago Leon had shut down. He wasn't speaking much, he wasn't really eating. Then there was the whole hospital episode. Vince had told her what happened, how he threatened the nurse on his behalf. Leon became the protector, trading places with Vince for those few minutes. Quietly, Vince had admitted that it felt good to be the protected instead of the protector for once.

Vince.

Now there was something she wasn't expecting. She had returned thinking that the first thing she would see him doing would be making some poor nurses life hell. Instead, he had been highly medicated and asleep. From her limited conversation with Juliet that morning, she gathered that he had only caused problems the one time. It was very uncharacteristic of him. Vincent Noah "Coyote" Orello was like a time bomb waiting to go off. But this Vince… he had found every reason he could come up with to stay in physical contact with her and when she moved out of his reach he would panic. The accident had changed him dramatically.

Letty sniffled against the pillow, determined not to cry any more. Giving the clock one last glance, she let sleep claim her.

* * *

"..mutherfuck.." a crash followed the quiet cursing.

Letty cracked one eye open and bit her lip to refrain from laughing. Her efforts were forfeit when she started to giggle. It was close to four am.

Sitting on the floor, pants around his ankles, Leon sat looking at her, doe eyed. "I tried not to wake you." He mumbled, unlacing his boots. When Letty kept laughing, he shot her a dark look and threw one of his shoes at her. "You think that's funny? Well I got something that's sure to ruin your glee.." he threw the other shoe towards the end of the bed and yanked his jeans the rest of the way off. "Dom called. Three fucking times." The last was growled.

Letty felt the lump in her throat before he finished the sentence. Just because **she** left **him** didn't mean she wasn't in pain.

"What did he want?" Her eyes followed Leon to the bed and watched as he climbed in beside her.

"First time… Wanted to know where the hell we were." He shimmied down the bed and turned to face her, "We're in Baja, ok?"

Stifling a chuckle, she nodded. "Second time?"

"O'Connor got in touch with him somehow. The charges have been dropped. We're all in the clear."

"Are you serious?" Letty felt a hint of shame. The cops hadn't even crossed her mind until now.

Leon closed his eyes and rolled onto his back with a yawn. "Yep."

"What about the third time?"

"I told him to go fuck himself and hung up on him before he could say anything. Then I got rid of the sim card."

Letty sat up in shock and stared at him, trying to gauge his expression. Was he serious? "You're kidding, Le." He sat up so quickly that she jumped backwards with a squeak. His expression was dark, bordering on furious.

"Letty, if you wanted to be with him, then why the fuck did you come back here?"

"I never said I wanted to be with him! It was only a question, Leon!" she snapped back, "It just seems so final, is all."

Leon relaxed slightly, though still visibly tense. "No, Let. Final is ripping the teams deals off your car and torching them on his bed."

Letty felt her eyes widen. "You.. no.." she looked at him in disbelief. His silent response was nothing more than a quirked eyebrow.

"I don't believe you.." she said, flinging back the covers and sliding onto the carpet. She took the stairs two at a time, her socks skidding along the floor as she swung into the bedroom she used to share with Dom.

"Holy shit!"

The covers lay neatly, the bed still made. The room remained untouched, the scent of Dom's cologne still hanging in the air, along with a more unpleasant burnt plastic smell. The only thing that looked even remotely out of black was the charred black spot in the centre of the queen sized bed, curled and melted remnants of the vinyl decals from the Skyline stuck to the pale material.

"Holy shit," she repeated, quieter this time. "He really did it." A hand reached out to touch the blackened remains. The coarse brittle plastic crumbled under her touch, falling to the bed in heavy flakes. It was the ultimate slap in the face. Something that meant so much to Dom, his empire so to speak, being destroyed in the very place he slept. Obviously, Leon's anger wasn't temporary. It was as permanent as it came.

Letty looked around, taking everything in. There was nothing left in the room for her any more. All her belongings had been packed and taken with her when she left for Mexico. Her relationship with Dom was done.

As she turned to walk out the door, a flash of hot pink and black caught her eye, peeking out from behind the dresser. Curious, she knelt down and grabbed at the pink and black object, the sensation of fur tickling her palm.

"Oh.." she whispered, covering her mouth. In her hand she held the most hideous looking stuffed cow in existence. It was black and pink tiger print with big, sad eyes and a soft, plush dummy hanging from its mouth. Jesse had given it to her for Easter earlier in the year, claiming bunnies were overrated and that 'cows need love too'. Now that he was gone, the gesture seemed so much sweeter.

"Let? Are you mad at- What are you doing on the floor?" The light flicked on overhead and Leon walked toward her. All anger had fled his face and it was instead back to the same concerned expression she had grown used to the past few weeks. He stopped beside her and looked down at her hands, then to her wet face.

"Oh, Let.. Come on sweetheart." He leant down to pick her up, "You can bring Mr. Bunny with you." He soothed gently, tucking her against his chest, cow and all.

"I'm sorry Leon… I'm so sorry." She sobbed, hugging the toy closer.

He manoeuvred her in his arms and switched off the light, then made his way back down to the basement.

"Don't worry about it, Let. I don't mind."

As he arranged her on the mattress and climbed into bed beside her, she watched him. "I really am sorry, Le." She sniffled. He shrugged lightly.

"Like I said, don't worry about it. I don't mind sharing with Mr. Bunny." He motioned to the cow.

"No, Le. You're being deliberately dense." He looked confused, "You lost him too."

Realisation blossomed on his face. He sighed. "Oh." He fell quiet, staring at the glow in the dark stars on the ceiling.

"Leon.." Letty prodded his arm until he turned to look at her. When he did, she pushed the cow into his hands. "You need him more than I do."

He looked at the stuffed toy for a while, just staring at it. "What if you need him?"

Letty shrugged elegantly and curled into his side. "If I need someone, Leon, I'd rather have you to hold than a toy. You hug back."

He levelled her with a look but made no move to push her away from him.. "So you'd rather Mr. Bunny here consoling me if **I** needed it? **I'm** not allowed to turn to **you**?"

"No! I mean yes! I mean.. I just didn't think you would let me." At his silence, she knew she was right. "How about we share him."

"How do you propose doing that? You take a horn and I'll take the udders?" he muttered sarcastically.

Letty smothered a laugh. "You always were a breast man."

"Hey, now!" He shouted indignantly, half sitting up now. Letty grinned and pulled him down beside her, squashing the stuffed cow in between them.

"There. Sharing."

He looked at her with a bemused smirk on his face, "I sincerely hope that it's stress making you this random."

She nodded in earnest. "Of course it is. Now shush.. Sleeping." She nuzzled closer to Leon's warmth, her head touching his chest. After a minute, his arm curled over her hip.

"G'night, Let." He kissed the top of her head gently.

Only once she was asleep did he allow himself to utter a whispered thankyou.


	5. The Coyote and The Wolf

**A/N: Alrighty.. This chapter is bought to you by pretty much the entire Crossfade album. If you don't own it, go buy it. Or at least look into getting it.**

**Thankyou so very much for all the reviews! As my dear friend Princess would say, "The 'gah' factor is just massive".. roughly translates to "Holy shit, I'm about to fall off my chair I'm so happy." Thankyou to everybody who has reviewed so far. Honest. Thankyou.  
**

Vince blinked rapidly against the light, trying to bring his hand up to shield his eyes only to find that he couldn't move his arm. _But it's my right arm that I can't move_. Confused, he looked down and saw a restraint around his left wrist. Panic started to swell in his chest.

"What.. What's going on!" only now he was fully awake, he noticed his surroundings. He was in pre-op. The air was cold against his exposed chest, his heart monitor was going crazy and he was alone again.

The doors of the operating theatre swung open and a nurse decked out in blue scrubs hurried out, eyes wide and frightened. As soon as she saw he was awake she relaxed, her hand pressed over her heart relieved.

"Oh, thank goodness! I thought something had gone wrong," she took his hand in hers and smiled down at him, "Do you want to know why you're down here?"

Feeling the panic subside slightly, Vince managed a small nod. Every muscle in his body was tensed painfully.

"Ok, calm down big guy. My name is Tala Mackenzie." She smiled, stroking the inside of his wrist soothingly. "We're going to flush out the wounds on your arm this morning and take a peek at your side. Just to be sure everything's going ok." Her warm brown eyes darkened. "It seems that you're not being taken care of very well up there."

Vince squirmed, uncomfortable and nervous. Last time he had been in this part of the hospital he had managed to do more damage to his arm than the truck had already done. It was his fault that he had difficulty moving now. That's what he had been told.

".. You're only cleaning it up?"

Tala reached over toward the bench that ran the length of the wall, covered with medical supplies, and pulled a stool over to the side of the bed to sit down. "Yes.. Is there anything else you could think of that needs doing while you're under?"

He shifted restlessly. "I.. Um.. I can't move my arm," he fidgeted, "Is that normal?"

"At all?" her pretty eyes were wide, "But we fixed you up perfectly. You should be in Physiotherapy by now! Haven't the nurses been running you through your exercises?" at his blank look, she almost growled. "Should have known."

He watched her grow agitated. Suddenly he got the feeling that he wasn't at fault for the severity of his injuries.

"Am I in trouble? Did I say something wrong?" The hysteria was coming back. His chest tightened and the heart monitor started to scream shrilly beside the bed again. Vince screwed his eyes shut, gasping as his throat started to close up on him. White spots started forming on the inside of his eyelids and breathing became harder. _I'm hyperventilating_ he thought dumbly.

"Vince! VINCE! Come on big guy.. That's it.. breathe.. Shh.." A voice broke through the chaotic rambling in his head, "That's it. You're doing good."

The monitor's beeping started to slow and air rushed into his lungs. The sudden pounding behind his eyes became apparent and the presence of another voice floated to his ears. This time, the voice much deeper and distinctly masculine.

"Vince, my name is Dr. Hewitt. I need you to open your eyes for me, young man."

Vince cringed, but did as he was asked. After the initial burst of light, he saw Tala standing beside him, holding his hand and looking pale, as well as an older man. Probably in his fifties, with a hint of white hair peeking out from beneath the hat on his head.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled in Tala's general direction. She must have gotten the point because her hand squeezed his gently in response.

"Alright, Vince," the doctor started, "Tala tells me that you can't move your arm. I'm going to try a few reflex tests and then we'll go from there, ok?"

"Yes, sir." His response was mumbled. Vince let his eyes flutter shut, suddenly tired and drained. He could feel the doctor squeezing and prodding his arm, but all that came of it was more pain. After a couple of minutes, the prodding stopped and Vince opened his eyes.

"Prep his arm for surgery. I want to try to fix this mess." And as soon as he'd finished, the doctor was gone.

Hesitantly, Vince looked up at Tala. Her caramel face had a smug little grin on it. "What?" he asked.

She shook her head slightly and carefully moved his damaged limb. "Whoever has been taking care of you these past weeks is in trouble."

Regret that he'd said anything started to creep up on him. "I don't want anyone to get in trouble on my account."

"Vince, they deserve to get in trouble. And to think.. If your friend hadn't said anything about your arm being infected to someone the other day, we wouldn't have known about this."

"My friend?"

Tala nodded at him, "Leon I think his name is. He'll be there when you wake up," she laughed at his wide smile and fitted a mask over his face, "See, now that's what I like to see. You smiling." She turned to say something to another nurse, then looked down at him. "Ok, we're off to see the wizard, Vince. Any requests?" she chirped.

He chuckled drowsily, "I want a pair of ruby slippers," he pondered it for a minute, "-and some Doritos."

Tala giggled, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "I'll see what I can do. Take a deep breath and count backwards from ten."

_Ten.. Nine.. Eight.. Seven.. seven.. shit…

* * *

_

"Stop picking at that, man."

"I'm not picking, I'm.. investigating."

"Bullshit. You're picking. Now leave Vince's dinner alone before I smack you! He needs that."

"How can he need it if he's asleep?" Silence, "Fine. I'll eat the Doritos."

A slap now, followed by muttered cursing. "You will not! He asked for those specifically, so leave them alone!"

Tala watched from the doorway with her hand over her mouth. The woman who she'd been introduced to as Letty, was giving the man beside her, Leon, the dirtiest glare she had ever seen. After not even a minute, Leon backed off and slouched into the uncomfortable chair.

"How come Vince gets to lie down and we have to sit in these fucked up chairs?"

Letty gave Leon an incredulous look, her mouth hanging open. "Because he's just had surgery you moron! He's still asleep for gods sake! Leave those Doritos alone, dammit!"

".. No he's not." Vince's voice croaked drowsily.

A small smile crept over her face and she watched, hidden in the shadows by the door as the bickering pair immediately sobered and rushed to either side of his bed. It warmed her heart to see that he had someone to wake up to this time. She brushed her fingers over her hip, the vague, lingering tenderness of an old bruise niggling at her. She had been there the first time he came out of surgery. He'd kicked her in his panic, leaving the area where his foot connected almost black. Tala didn't blame him though. The pain she'd seen on his face was explanation enough.

Letty's candy sweet tone caught her attention. "How are you feeling, boo? Can I get you anything?" Tala smiled wider when she saw Leon's hand brushing Vince's scruffy hair away from his eyes, then right a twisted tube. He however, remained a silent strength at his friends bedside. The change in his demeanour now that Vince was waking up was incredible. Gone was the antagonist she had seen not minutes earlier, instead replaced now with a man who exuded a more mature, protector type aura. He seemed older now.

"No thankyou," Vince's voice sounded small and childlike. "I'm tired."

_So it wasn't just because of surgery_ she thought to herself. He was genuinely fearful of everything now. A sudden sadness swept over at the thought of how his injuries would affect his life.

He was displaying the classic symptoms of an anxiety disorder and from what she could tell, he was becoming dependant as well. He'd seemed so spirited the first day in the recovery room. Her aunt, Juliet, had kept her filled in on his progress. It seemed that she had taken a shine to him as well. Taking a deep breath, Tala stepped further into the dimly lit room. Almost immediately, Leon's heavy, almost dangerous glare was on her.

"What do you want?" he growled at her, eyes darkened with animosity.

Tala held up her hand in an innocent gesture. "I came to bring the big guy his ruby slippers." She replied, unable to stop the grin at his baffled expression.

"His ruby _what_?"

She held up a bag as she neared the bed and stood beside Letty. "His ruby slippers." She caught Vince's drug hazed eyes. "The wizard is going to need to see to you again, Vince." She said gently, knowing he would understand. The damage sustained to his arm would require another corrective surgery, at the least.

He blinked slowly, the drugs inhibiting him from moving very fast. "..My fault?" he asked thickly.

Tala shook her head gently and mouthed 'no', her fingers reaching to replace an adhesive tab that had come loose on his exposed chest. At his shiver, she pulled the blanket higher, up to his armpits.

"Here you go. As per request, your ruby slippers." She placed the bag on his thighs and took a step back. "I'm going to be checking in on you, big guy."

"S'not.. necessary.." he murmured, a heavy hand moving for the bag on his legs. Whether he meant the gift, or the checking in on him she wasn't sure.

Tala waved his refusal off. She had gone to her aunt, who had been off duty at the time, and told her about her encounter with Vince earlier in the day. When Juliet had been told of the slippers and Doritos comment, she had deemed it necessary to fulfil his request. Unprofessional as it was, the two had gone out and searched high and low to find red slippers in Vince's mammoth shoe size. It had taken a better part of the afternoon, but with it being toward the tail end of summer, they'd done it. _Like shopping all afternoon was a task_, she mused to herself.

He gave the fuzzyslippers a long, blank look, then turned his eyes toward her and a tiny hint of a smile was on his face.

"These are the ugliest ruby slippers I've ever seen." His voice was quiet, weak and tired, but the amusement in his tone couldn't be missed.

Tala giggled, "What can I say.. They don't make strappy red heels in a mens sixteen, do they."

"They do if you know where to look," Letty quipped, her face vibrantly beautiful when she smiled. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Leon's posture relax slightly with Letty's smile and hid a grin. He gave her a slightly more gentle look now than before.

"Sorry.. About bein' defensive.. It's just-"

"Say no more. The state he was in, I don't blame you." She looked at her watch, "I have to get going."

If anything, the trio looked disappointed. Leon moved around to the end of the bed.

"I'll walk you out." He offered, waiting for her to say her goodbyes before accompanying her out into the hall.

Once they were alone and out of earshot, Leon took her elbow in his hand and stopped her. His face was suddenly darker.

"Now you tell me what the hell is wrong with my brother." He let her go, "And no bullshit."


	6. Took a break, was someone else

_**A/N: OK, so I think it's kinda short, but I figured that if I added anything more that it would over do it, even thought it's a little slow. As always, any constructive criticism is welcome AND thanks to everyone who's reviewed! I honestly didn't even expect to get five, let alone over twenty! Thankyou!**_

_**P.S. Inspirational song for this chapter "Inflatable" by Bush. Not exactly the lyrics, but the general mood of the song.. bliss.**_

Water pattered against the cool tiles quietly, the sound almost hypnotic. Leon sat motionlessly on the floor of the shower, his knees bent up to his chest, head bent to the side and resting on the tiled wall. Lazily he brought a hand up to slick his hair away from his face, ignoring the water beating down on him. All the lights were out and the room felt almost alive in the darkness.

Whether it was the fact that he had grown used to the temperature, or the water was running out, Leon felt chilled. Long fingers toyed with the metal watch band around his wrist blindly.

He swallowed thickly, tipping his head back underneath the spray of the shower. Letty was in bed, had been for the past two hours, and was sleeping soundly, content in the knowledge that Vince was no longer in the pain he was before. He was showering in Vince's ensuite so he wouldn't wake her.

Leon smiled bitterly to himself. He knew better than to think Vince was in the clear. After pretty much cornering that nurse three days earlier, he knew better.

_Nerve endings too damaged… chronic pain… never fully heal…_

The words ran through his head over and over like they were on repeat, taunting him. "I could have helped him… And I never even tried." He whispered to himself. The sound echoed off the dewy walls of the shower cubicle, making it sound so much louder. His eyes burned with repressed tears. His chest hurt. Leon shifted his position so his head rested on his knees, his fingers coiled around his ankles loosely.

_I didn't even try. My own big brother, and I didn't. Even. Try._ Unlike Jesse, who was **like** a brother, Vince **was** his brother. His blood.

Growing up, Vince had lived with their father in Echo Park while he had spent the majority of his youth in Miami with their mother. The only times they had seen each other was every second Christmas. That is until Leon was seventeen and Vince was almost twenty. That was when Leon had rescued Jesse from the abusive foster home he was in and the two had worked their way across the country, ending up with nothing more than the Jetta and fifty dollars. Needless to say when they ended up on Vince's doorstep at one in the morning, starving and exhausted, Leon had gotten his ass kicked… Then he was offered the spare room and Jesse the attic apartment. The three had been almost inseparable since.

He bit down on his bottom lip as he felt himself start to shake. _No_, he thought, ignoring the pressure behind his eyes, _I will **not** cry. Have to be strong for Letty. Gotta be strong for V._

Unfolding his legs, Leon stood carefully and turned the shower off. He knew that even considering sleep would be a futile gesture. Towel wrapped around his waist, he padded out into Vince's room and navigated his way around the bed. Not surprisingly, as Vince had always been rather anal about his domain, the room was immaculate and tidy. The only thing out of place was the black and yellow guitar laying across the bed, the hard case propped up beside the closet, open and empty. Having never even touched the guitar before, Leon was surprised at it's weight when he picked it up. _What did you expect? A bag of feathers?_ Carefully, he unhooked the strap and folded it up, putting it aside for the moment. He sat down, the guitar laid across his thighs. His fingers ran along two of the nylon strings reverently. Vince's ability to draw some of the most incredible sounds out of something so.. inanimate.. had always amazed him. Hell, he'd even tried to teach him a few times on an acoustic over the years, but Leon never had the patience to learn. He smirked. Vince actually had more patience than he did when it came to music. All Leon knew about it was whether he liked the way it sounded or not, but Vince… Vince lived for it. He loved his music more than his car.

He would be heartbroken when he found out that he may never play again.

"Better put you away, baby." He muttered to the guitar, carefully placing it inside the case before locking it shut. He looked around the room once more, then walked out into the hall, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Letty buried her face in the pillow, the scent of her own shampoo and Leon's cologne assaulting her nose. She closed her eyes and rolled onto her side, feigning sleep when she heard footsteps coming down the hall. 

She could hear Leon moving around the room and cautiously cracked one eye open. The bare stretch of his back was facing her and he was looking toward his feet, buttoning his jeans.

_What is he doing? It's only… Two thirty!_

Silent in her observation, Letty watched his fingers deftly catch his chain back around his neck, then run through his messy hair. She closed her eyes when she realised he was about to turn around, an old black t shirt hanging from his fingers. The bed dipped in front of her, bringing her just a little closer to Leon's side. He radiated warmth, even in the coldest of times, and now was no different. The heat coming from his body was like a furnace. He had been in that shower for almost two hours and judging from the pinkish tinge she could make out in the dim lamp light, the water had been scalding hot. Worry twisted her gut painfully.

"Letty? You awake, girl?" His hand was stroking her head gently, like a small child's would when they touched something delicate. He smelled like a mixture of soap and deodorant, with a hint of toothpaste. She decided not to reply. _Let him think I'm sleeping_, she thought. He must have believed her silence because his weight shifted. "Ok, Let." His hand remained on her head.

Letty fought the smile of pleasure at the feeling of his thumb brushing her cheekbone. Warm lips pressed to her brow, the hot puff of his breath against her eyelashes tickling slightly. It was the first time he had ever kissed her skin, always opting for her hair, or, in a move that was uniquely him, the inside of her wrist. Only when she was wearing something with long sleeves though. Still, he was the only one she knew of who did that. _Wait,_ she thought suddenly, _Vince does it too.. _

"If you can hear me in your little dream world in there," Leon whispered close to her ear, "I'll be out back." He kissed her cheek this time and stroked her head once more, then rose from the bed. Seconds later the door clicked shut.

She waited a good half hour before she even considered following, then slipped from the bed and shoved her feet into a pair of Leon's scuffs. The shoes were miles too big on her, so her walk was reduced to a shuffle. Once she reached the kitchen, she looked out the window. The garage light was on and Vince's Maxima was missing from the driveway. She could see the barest hint of the front bumper sticking out from the garage.

"What on earth is he up to?" she asked herself, her face close to the glass. Stepping outside, she winced at the screech of the screen door and folded her arms across her ribs, beneath her breasts. All she was wearing was one of Vince's old football jerseys, bigger and baggier the better, and her underwear. The cool air hit her legs, a vast difference from the warmth of inside the house and her skin prickled with goosebumps. There was moisture in the air again and occasionally, the sky would flash distantly.

Reaching the garage, she looked down at Leon kneeling on the floor. "What you doin', Le?" she asked softly when she saw the scalpel in his hand. If he hadn't heard her come out the door, unlikely as it was, she didn't want to startle him.

He glanced up at her briefly, thumbing the turned up edge of the decal on the passenger side door of the Maxima. "I talked to V the other day about this," he replied, "He gave me the ok."

Letty stepped toward him until she was close enough to touch him. "I didn't mean the car. I meant, what are you doing out here at three in the morning?"

"I couldn't sleep." His hand curled around her calf, rubbing at the bumpy skin. "Why are you out here? I didn't wake you did I?"

Stepping away from his touch, Letty shook her head, trying not to notice the fluttering in her stomach at his touch. "No, only woke up a few minutes ago.. Wondered where you were…"

He frowned up at her, wiping his hands on his thighs. "You want me to come to bed?" he asked, standing up. Letty inwardly smiled. Seems his protectiveness was spilling over in her direction as well.

"Would you?"

"Sure," he looked down at the door, "Just gimme a minute to clean up." Turning away from her, he went about tidying the small work space he had been using.

Letty watched quietly, her fingers playing with a section of hair that had come loose of her ponytail. Her teeth caught her bottom lip as he bent over to pick something up from the floor and his pants stretched tightly across his behind.

_Oh.. My god_, she thought dumbly, _I just checked out Leon's butt._ She jumped, startled when he took her elbow in his hand.

"You alright, Let?" His green eyes sparkled at her, worried.

Giving him an uneasy smile, she nodded. "Yeah, I'm just tired is all." She apologised, rubbing her eyes for effect. Leon's concerned expression softened. His arm slipped around her waist.

"Let's get you to bed then."


	7. Lookin like you need a rescue

**A/N: Filler chapter! Haven't really got anything to say, except for, as usual, thankyou. Depending on the feedback, this chapter may dissappear.. Maybe. I'm about as happy with it as i'm going to get. Song for the chapter "Sugar" by Tonic.**

**sparkly green.**

Tala frowned at the food left on the tray. "You didn't eat much." She muttered, eyeing Vince warily.

He was half asleep, curled on his side and watching television. His newly repaired arm sat atop the blankets, encased in a black and grey brace that was hinged at the elbow but fixed in place to prevent movement. At one stage that one small joint must have been supporting his entire body weight and as a result, was close to destroyed. To a lesser extent the same went with his shoulder. He had almost lost the arm initially, then as a result of neglectful nursing, he had come close to losing it again. The infection had progressed almost to the point of no return. The limb would never be the same.

"Wasn't hungry." Was his murmured response. His eyes drooped, tired.

"Vince, please," Tala began, her fingers working at the tangles in his hair. It had grown quite a bit since he was admitted. "You **have** to eat. You've already lost twenty pounds."

".. have not." He argued, his tone subdued.

She reached for his paper work at the end of the bed and flicked through it quickly. Once she found what she was looking for, she turned it so he could read it.

"Right, this says that you were 207 upon arrival, that sound right?" He nodded and she flipped a few pages back, "**This**, shows your weight now."

Vince's dark blue eyes flicked from the page to her face, then he lifted the sheet up and looked at himself. Tala could see his confusion.

"You've actually lost more than twenty… It's bordering thirty now, big guy. You have to eat." Her voice was pleading.

He stared at her for some time, eyes glassy, then slowly, he pushed himself into an upright position and gingerly reached for the abandoned tray of food.

Tala wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him to her. "Thank you for humouring me, big guy."

His cheeks reddened at her affectionate tone, eyes nervously looking anywhere but at her. "… Welcome."

* * *

Tala jumped, her heart thundering in her chest. "My _god_! Don't do that!" She chided. She brushed an errant honey brown curl out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. 

On the other side of the table, Claudia, a nurse in her early thirties maybe, sat down, barely able to squeeze her bulk in the space between the table and bench. She would later come to be known as 'the one Leon threatened with bodily harm.'

"I don't know how you managed it. I really don't." She shook her head in disbelief. Tala fought to remain pleasant, as being outright rude wasn't in her nature. She cursed herself for being too polite at times.

"Im sorry? Managed what?"

Claudia rolled her eyes at the younger woman. "That brute in two forty seven B. Since you took him on he's been, dare I say it, pleasant." She scoffed.

Tala frowned. Did she mean Vince? Sure he was a little rough around the edges at first, but that was early in his stay. Since then it was almost as if the hospital had broken whatever spirit he had left. It pained her to see him so broken.

She tried to think back to any given moment that he had given her trouble but her mind drew a blank. The only problems, or so called problems, she had heard about was from a select few nurses. The battle axes that thought they ran the entire hospital. Her eyes narrowed on Claudia, who was rambling on about how arrogant and difficult Vince had been while she was assigned to him.

"Wait, wait, wait.. You were assigned Vince? He was one of yours?" She asked tightly, her hands splayed out on the smooth table top.

Claudia's overly plucked eyebrow quirked and when she spoke, her mouth was still filled with food. "Yeah, and?"

Tala's vision turned red. "You mean to tell me, that **you** were responsible for his well being? Didn't you notice that his arm was infected?"

"So he had a slight infection! Big deal! It wasn't about to kill him."

Tala stood up on the opposite side of the table. "Couldn't have killed him? Claudia.. HE ALMOST DIED!" she took a deep breath to calm herself, ignoring the shell shocked expression on the human wart hog's face, "Did you know that he flat lined on us during his last surgery? His body was shutting down! Do you know why that is?"

Mutely, the older woman shook her head. Tala leant in close.

"Because of you. You. Fucked. Up. If it wasn't bad enough that you almost cost him his arm, you almost cost him his life! He is a wonderful, wonderful man with so much going for him, and **YOU**! You almost took that away from him!"

Claudia spluttered, trying for a response, but Tala held her hand up in her face.

"Shut. Up. You are filth," she snarled. Gone was the sweet little girl that everyone liked, instead replaced with a pissed off woman on a mission. "How fucking **_dare_** you do that to him."

"I am **not** filth! **He** is filth! He's a street racer!" she argued. She didn't even see Tala's fist coming until it was too late and her head snapped to the side, a huge red welt blossoming just beneath her eye. Claudia's eyes widened in shock, her hand cradling her face.

Tala pointed at her, her finger inches from her face. "He **was** a street racer, but he's not any more. He will never drive again because of you! And anyway, who cares what he does in his personal life? Your personal ideals should **not** interfere with your work!"

"I've done nothing wrong and I'm having you charged with assault! I have witnesses!"

Tala leaned back, looking around the silent cafeteria. She smirked. Everybody was looking anywhere but at them. "Are you sure?"

From the back of the room, a voice piped up; "I never saw a thing!", then another, "I thought you said you tripped?"

Unable to stomach being near her any longer, Tala grabbed up her bottle of water and her bag, then stalked from the room, trying no to blush at the tremendous applause that followed her.

Once she was outside, she leant against the wall and shook her hand, wincing. It was the first time she had actually hit someone, like an actual punch. "Damn." She muttered, eyeing the red knuckles. _That felt good._. She grinned and started down the hallway. Suddenly her long work day didn't seem so bad.

* * *

Tala didn't know what to do. She had her arms full of a hundred and seventy five pounds of man, and she didn't know what to do. Upon her arrival to Vince's room, she decided to visit him during her break, she discovered him in the throes of a terrible nightmare. He was drenched in sweat, trembling. It had been easy enough to wake him, but once she did, he seemed to slip into an almost catatonic state, just leaning heavily against her, shaking. It was all she could do not to panic and run screaming for the doctor. Doing that would only make him retreat more into himself. He was loosely clutching the arm with the brace on it, staring blankly ahead. 

"Vince? Sweetie please give me some kind of response… Please?" She shook him slightly, just a slight jostle, and awkwardly brushed her hand across his forehead. She grimaced. The brace he was forced to wear on his damaged arm was digging into her chest, biting into the skin. _How can he stand wearing that thing? _She asked herself. _He stands it because it reduces the pain he feels by almost twenty percent, that's how!_

"I wanna go home," he mumbled against her neck. "Want Tala."

She looked down at him, shocked. "Big guy, it's me. I am Tala." She cooed softly into his ear, rocking him back and forth in a soothing motion. Her arms tightened around his shoulders, fingers tangled in his short hair. "Do you want me to call Leon or Letty?"

Vince's reply was sluggish and almost inaudible. "…Le worries too much.. I'm sposed to take care of him.. Mama made me promise 'fore she died."

Sensing he didn't speak of his mother often, Tala urged him on. "What was she like?" She almost sighed with relief when his muscles loosened and he fell limp against her. The shaking was subsiding.

"Like Le," he murmured, "She smiled a lot."

Tala pulled the blanket up over them, one hand smoothing over his now covered shoulder, the other resting lightly on the back of his head, her short fingernails raking against his scalp. The more time that passed, the more he relaxed. _I am going to get in so much trouble for this._

"Le doesn't seem to smile a lot, sweetie." She heard his quiet sigh and couldn't help smiling as he nuzzled closer. If it had been any other patient, she would have put a stop to it right away, but Vince genuinely seemed to need physical contact. It calmed him. Just when she thought he had slipped off to sleep;

"… Letty makes him smile."

Tala smiled against his head, her cheek rubbing against his thick, surprisingly soft hair. "I noticed that, actually."

She was still rocking him ever so slightly when she caught sight of her supervisor standing in the doorway. He gave her a resigned look and nodded his head, then silently pulled to door shut.

_He's going to have a lot to say about this later_, she thought, her small hand rubbing calming circles on Vince's shoulder. Still, she was relieved that he had refused to comment on it right away. Vince was almost asleep and he didn't need the added stress of a confrontation right now.

He nosed in closer to her neck, shifting to take some of the pressure off his arm. "Tala?"

"Yeah, big guy?"

".. I want to go home."

She sighed and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Soon, Vince. Soon."


	8. Skittles and Disposable Cameras

**A/N: Ok, I know this is awful soon, but it pretty much wrote itself and it's been raining all day long and I can't do anything else… Not that I would…So yeah, it's pretty much just fluff.**

**The usual: thanking y'all kindly, and the music for this chapter?.. The playlist in Media Player entitled "mellowness", consisting of Bush, Nikka Costa, Grinspoon, Nickelback, a rather nifty new-ish Australian band called Thirsty Merc, Switchfoot, Maroon 5, Filter… Yeah. Lots of good stuff. Way too many to list.

* * *

**

Letty grinned, barely able to contain her gleeful giggling. "Le! Le come 'ere!" She called in a loud whisper, reaching for him once he was close enough. He smirked at her, confused.

"What? What is it?"

Letty pulled him in front of her so he could see past the slightly ajar door into the room. "Isn't it cute?" she peered past his side, her hands resting on his hips.

Though the room was bathed in a dim, barely there light, they could make out the pair on the small hospital bed plain as day. Tala was half sitting up, reclining against the headboard and Vince was on his stomach, draped over her, his head resting heavily on her ribs. Tala's hand was tangled in his hair, holding him in place. Despite their size difference, Vince being a good foot taller than Tala, they looked content and comfortable.

Both were sleeping peacefully.

"He must've had a nightmare," Leon murmured softly, taking a step back. "You think we should just leave 'em?"

Letty looked at them for a while longer, unknowingly tightening her hold on Leon. "They look so peaceful. We need a camera." She decided with a nod.

"Let.. Come on, now.. Leave 'em be."

"I will! … After you go get me a camera from the gift shop." She shooed him away playfully, then peeked back inside to make sure they were still sleeping. "Oh! And some skittles.. Had a craving for skittles all day." She added absently.

Leon quirked an eyebrow at her, but nodded and left for the elevator.

Letty watched him until he disappeared from view, then shook herself slightly. Ever since that night a week earlier out in the garage she had found herself looking for reasons to be near him, touch him, talk to him. No that he minded, it seemed. Whenever she would move closer to him during the night, he would wrap himself around her to keep her warm. If she didn't feel like sleeping, he never minded if she woke him up to talk, no matter how little sleep he'd been getting lately. He was quickly becoming her best friend, and god help her, she was starting to see him as more.

He was everything Dom had never been. With Dom, it was all about him. What **he** wanted **when** he wanted it. But with Leon… He made her feel special. Feminine. He made her want to be more affectionate and warm. He made her feel all those things and they weren't even together.

A movement inside the room caught her attention and she leaned in closer to the door, peering inside. Vince was stirring inside, his sleep darkened eyes blinking against the dim lighting. He made a quiet moaning sound and pushed himself up onto his knees, just far enough to turn over so he was on his back, then he settled back against Tala's stomach with her knees steepled on either side of him. Blindly, he reached for her arm, then his next move made Letty's heart skip a beat and jump into her throat. He pressed a kiss to the inside of her dainty wrist and held her arm to his chest. Soon enough, he was sleeping again.

Her mind raced. It was strange for such an unusual display of affection to be used by two completely unrelated beings. Long time friends or not. She leaned against the doorframe, racking her brain to remember Leon's last name. _He's never told us_, she realised, _He's always just been Leon._ The she remembered. On more than one occasion when Leon and Vince had been arguing, Vince had shouted at Leon using his first _and_ middle name. Leon Michael. Vince knew his full name when the rest of the team hadn't been privy to that information.

Suddenly it became clear to her why Leon was acting the way he was lately. _They're related.._ "Oh my god."

"Something wrong, Let?"

Letty almost jumped out of her skin, having not heard Leon sneak up behind her. She turned to look at him and for the first time, she noticed.

That same sharp cheek bone, though the similarity was usually lost on Vince's face with the extra weight he carried, they moved alike, they _felt_ alike. That same commanding presence. _Well_, she thought sadly,_ they used to have the same commanding presence_ … And the breaker? Their personalities. Leon loved to be touched and once you gained Vince's trust, which was doable but slightly more difficult, so did he. The way the two would always seem to have a little inside joke no matter what the situation, or the way they expressed themselves. Both artistic in their own right. Vince, a gifted musician, Leon, gifted in the visual arts. _How did I **not** notice before now?_

Leon snapped his fingers in front of her face. He looked worried. "Leticia? Baby, what's wrong?" She inwardly bounced with glee at today's pet name.

Mutely, she reached for his wrist and lifted it to her mouth, watching him out of the corner of her eye. When her lips pressed over his pulse point, he froze and his eyes glassed over.

"Why did you do that?" He asked thickly. Letty blinked at him, her only response a quiet, mysterious smile. She had the feeling that the gesture held a great deal of meaning to him.

"Did you get the camera?"

Leon looked at her suspiciously, but nodded, handing her the black and white disposable camera along with three bags of skittles. One original, one bag of sours and one of the tropical kind. At her look, he shrugged self consciously.

"I didn't know what kind you'd want."

* * *

"… You think we should stop by the races? Say hi to Hector?" 

Letty looked down at herself. Old worn jeans, a turquoise tank top and a pair of low heeled boots. Her hair hung in a loose, low ponytail with wisps falling around her cheeks. She looked a right mess.

"Le.. I look like shit. You expect me to -"

"Letty. Shut up. It is physically impossible for you to look like shit." He visibly looked her over as he drove his newly painted Skyline toward the warehouse district. Instead of the vibrant yellow it had been for the past five years, it was now a metallic emerald green, free of any adorning decals or designs.

"You look beautiful."

Letty's shy response made him laugh. "…Really?"

"Really." He affirmed, turning into the street lined with cars. "Now, look for Hector." He slammed his hand down on the horn when a group of barely dressed girls stumbled in front of the car, squealing and giggling. He turned to Letty, eyes wide. "They're drunk."

"Those are some fantastic observational skills you got there, LeLe."

He grunted, rolling to a stop. "Don't call me LeLe. The only people who will ever call me LeLe and get away with it will be my nieces or nephews."

"So you're waiting for V to have kids?" She asked innocently. He nodded, distracted.

"Exactly."

Letty smiled and waited for him to realise what he'd just said, then, as predicted, he turned to her ever so slowly. His expression looked like it belonged on someone about to face the executioner.

"You know?"

She nodded, climbing out of the car. Immediately people started chattering and whispering. _It defeats the purpose of being quiet when hundreds of people all start whispering at once_ she thought bitterly. She had always despised whispering. It annoyed her.In no time, Leon was at her side and the pair were navigating their way through the crowd. Occasionally, someone tried to stop them to talk, but after the fifth time Leon snapped at them, they got the idea and backed off.

"..How?"

Letty looked up at him as they walked, not surprised at his sudden need to speak, a small smile on her face. "I finally paid attention."

Leon was about to respond when he suddenly smiled at someone over her shoulder. "Hey, man." He roared with laughter as Hector grabbed Letty in a bear hug from behind and hoisted her into the air.

"Stop laughing at me!"

"You squeal like a girl!"

Letty stomped indignantly, quickly apologising to Hector for stepping on his foot. "I **am** a girl, Leon!" She snapped, arms folded. She huffed silently when Leon wrapped his arms around her, apologising.

From the side, Hector watched the exchange with a smirk firmly plastered across his face. _Always wondered how long it would take those two… Wonder how Dom's takin' it?_ he mused.

"So," he interjected, clearing his throat. "What's up? When's the rest of the team showin' up?" The sudden change in Leon's face made him want to cringe and the pain in Letty's eyes made him want to retract his question.

"We're it. There is no team."

Eyes wide, Hector looked from one to the other, "Are you for real? No more team Toretto?" The last was almost whispered, as not to start a chain reaction of outrage and gossip.

Letty nodded solemnly, ushering Leon away. "I'll talk to Hector, you go say hi to Edwin."

"But, Let.. Edwin's a jackass." He stated plainly. Hector started to laugh and Letty glared at him until he left, then turned back to the bald Hispanic. "Don't encourage him, man." She scolded.

Holding his hands up in apology, he guided her back toward his car where it was quieter and little to no people were loitering. Once he was sure they were alone, he sat Letty down in the front seat and knelt outside the car in front of her, hidden by the open door.

"Alright, chica.. Tell Uncle Hector all about it."

Well, those few words started it. By the time Letty was finished, Hector was sitting on his ass looking bewildered. He looked up at her. _Guess Dom doesn't know about them after all… I don't think **they** even know about them yet._

"You need anything, chica.. _Anything_! You call me, alright? You, Leon.. Vince.. You guys can call on me anytime."

Letty's eyes sparkled with happiness. "Thank you, Hector. You're a good friend."

"It's nothin' Let.. Now you let me know where and when I can go see the big man."

From behind him, Leon's voice piped in. "He's coming home day after tomorrow." He offered the knowledge nonchalantly enough, but one look at him and you could see how happy he was about the fact.

Hector nodded, standing. "Well, once he's settled… You call me. I'll bring 'im a teddy bear." He grinned, already contemplating what colour to get him.


	9. Sprung

**A/N: Another one! .. Did you know its impossible to be in a bad mood whilst listening to Iggy Pop? Well.. I think it is, at least. Anyway! Back to the update! **

**Thankyou for the reviews, as usual, they never fail to make me grin and feel all giddy like. **

**Oh, and people? Riding mechanical bulls whilst drunk can be hazardous to the health… But by god, It's fun!

* * *

**

Vince shifted uneasily in his seat, hand pressed firmly over the still tender bullet wound on his side to keep the seatbelt from digging in. The skin had re-knitted completely but the muscles underneath were still far from healed. He sighed. Despite how good it felt to be out of hospital and in his own clothes for the first time in over a month, six weeks to be exact, he was nervous. The outside world was a lot noisier than he remembered. With his mind running a thousand miles a minute, he now understood how Jesse had felt when he forgot to take his medication. Concentrating was damn hard.

"You ok, V?" came Leon's voice from the drivers seat of his Maxima. It had been a mutual decision that if Vince were to go anywhere, it would be in **his** car.

He nodded silently, eyes still fixed on the passing scenery, unable to refrain from flinching as a semi tore past them. The sound made his skin crawl. Fingers clenched in a vain attempt to keep from panicking.

Leon noticed his white knuckled grip in the seat belt. "Hey, V? Down there on the floor there's a folder with some new CD's in it. You wanna grab one out?"

Unsteadily, Vince reached for the CD folder with his right hand, his mouth in a tight line as his fingers curled around it.

Leon kept his eyes on the road so he wouldn't stare. He couldn't begin to imagine how difficult it would be to adapt to practically losing a limb, which is what Vince would be going through for a while. He only had minimal use of his arm at the moment and was in constant pain. Probably would be for the rest of his life. He could only just curl his fingers around some things and barely lift others… But not once had he complained.

Once he'd chosen a CD, he settled back into the bucket seat, his body twisted just enough for him to be facing Leon.

"Where are we going?" he asked in a quiet voice, eyes heavy lidded from exhaustion.

Leon turned a corner, bringing them onto a familiar street. "I've got to pick up some stuff from Harry's for the Skyline. You mind?" he glanced over to Vince as he spoke. "If you just want to go home, that's fine. I can-"

"It's ok, Le." His eyes were closed, giving the impression of calm, but anybody who knew him could see that he was about ready to tear his skin off to rid himself of the itching nervousness. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, mouth open ready to say something.

"Le-" He stopped when he noticed they had changed direction.

"Already on it, V. Just sit back and we'll be home in no time." Even though Leon was looking out the window at the time, he could feel how grateful Vince was at that very moment.

"I'm sorry… I just…"

Leon waved his explanation off. "Forget it Vincent. You spent six years taking care of me, now it's my turn to take care of you."

* * *

Letty sat at the small kitchen table, her hands buried in her hair. It was the middle of the night and the two most important men in her life were both sprawled on Leon's bed, dead to the world. She envied their ability to sleep. Before Vince had returned home, she could have counted the amount of nights that Leon slept on one hand, but now he was home the insomnia seemed to have disappeared. Though still restless and ready to wake at any given moment, Leon was finally getting some rest. 

She stared at the pictures in front of her. The ones she had taken on the disposable she had made Leon go and buy her at the hospital that night.

The glossy black and white images stared up at her. Her favourites sat in front of her, the rest scattered across the table. The first was one of the pictures she had taken of Vince and Tala with his head over her heart, Tala's lips barely brushing his head in sleep.

The second was one of Leon driving.

She was surprised that one had turned out at all, given that she had forgotten to use the flash in the darkened car. He was slouched back in his seat, head cocked to the side resting in his fist just staring ahead deep in thought. A slice of pale light from the street lamp cut across his face, illuminating his eyes. The picture had such a sadness to it, but it also captured Leon's essence perfectly.

The last was of both Vince and Leon, doing what they did best. Sleeping. They were on the couch the first night Vince was home, one at either end with their heads both tilted back. Vince heavily medicated, Leon just plain exhausted. The photo op was too good to pass up.

"Letty? Why are you sitting up here alone?" Leon's voice rasped beside her ear, his arms looped around her neck. She shivered at his warm breath ghosting over her cheek and leant back into his embrace.

"I couldn't get to sleep and I didn't want to disturb you two." She frowned at the loss of his touch, then squeaked in shock as he spun her chair around to face him. He was kneeling in front of her with his hands resting on her thighs.

"How many times have I told you to just wake me up?" He scolded, thumbing small circles on the inside of her thighs, just above the knees. Her breath hitched as his hands crept higher and pulled her a little further forward on the chair. His expression changed from innocent and concerned to downright evil.

"You want me." He stated surely, pulling her closer again. By now, she was pressed against his chest, legs wrapped around his waist and locked at the ankle.

"I.." He cut her off, pressing his lips to hers in a heated kiss. She groaned into his mouth, her legs tightening around him as he stood, then laid her back across the table. Pictures scattered further across the table and onto the floor. His mouth burned its way down her throat, hot wet kisses searing at her skin and filling her with heat. He mouthed at the neckline of her tank top, wetting the soft lace there. Leon's weight settled over her, heavy and a little intimidating, but welcomed. His scent filled her nostrils, heady and distinctly masculine.

Letty opened her eyes, awed by the vision she was met with. His hair was hanging down into his eyes, his lips swollen from their kisses and the look of concentration on his face as he peeled her shirt off her forced a moan from deep in her belly. She watched, captivated, as his head lowered toward her chest and was taken aback by the way his eyes darkened when she called his name …

"Letty? Let.. _**Wake up**_."

She jerked, eyes flying open. _A dream. Just a dream!.. Oh dear god.. _She forced herself to breathe normally and looked around wildly. Suddenly, she felt ill. On the other side of the table, Leon sat with his arms folded, staring at her with a cheeky grin on his face. He _knew_. _How **could** he know?_

"Have a nice nap?"

".. Oh fuck."

"Did you know you talk in your sleep?"

"Oh fuck!"

He chuckled, "You already said that, honey."

* * *

"Watch your step." Letty called back over her shoulder, running her hands along the wall. She grinned when she felt Tala's hand curl in the back of her shirt. 

"You can't see a thing down here! It's like perpetual night time.."

"Yeah, that's how the boys like it. You'll get used to it after the first few times you're down here."

Tala's hesitant footsteps became hurried. "Um, Letty? If I tell you something, will you promise not to laugh at me?"

"Can't promise, but I'll try not to." She replied with a shrug. Tala's next words gave her pause.

"I.. I'm not a big fan of the dark. I'm not _afraid_ of it exactly, I just don't like it much."

Incredulity filled the bigger woman. "Are you serious? Shit.. I **know** there's some lights around here somewhere!" she dragged her palm along the wall until she felt the familiar bump of the touch lights and pushed on two of them simultaneously. She turned to Tala.

"You alright, girl?"

Aside from looking a little ruffled, Tala appeared to be fine. She nodded quickly, blushing. "I'm sorry. I'm usually fine with it but it's just so…"

"Dark?" Letty supplied, linking arms with the petite girl. "I know how you feel. Look over there," she pointed, "- and there should be some more of these little lights. Just push em in as you walk by. They stay on for two minutes then shut off."

Tala pushed experimentally and grinned as the area around her lit up. "This is wonderful!" She proclaimed, her discomfort abated. Letty laughed, leaning in.

"Our boy put those in… On one of his more industrious days, of course."

Tala's dark brown eyes widened happily, showing Letty just how much she adored Ol' Coyote. "How **is** Vince? I'm would have been here before now, but I've been so busy with double shifts and all.." she explained.

Letty winced. "He hasn't exactly been too social. We've taken him out a few times, but he gets really nervous, really quickly. He almost bolted one day in the supermarket, so I bought him home while Leon finished the shopping. He thinks people are staring at him."

"And then there's the whole 'don't touch me, it hurts' thing too," Tala responded, understanding completely. "It must be so difficult for him."

"It is, I think. But he hasn't said anything to us. He doesn't complain."

Letty reached out and knocked on a door that Tala assumed to be Vince's room, then entered, arms still linked with Tala's.

"V? You awake, boo?"

Looking around the room, all Tala could see was Vince. The walls were a pale grey, trimmed in a rich, cobalt blue and in place of chairs, three or four large over stuffed bean bags sat at various intervals. All a blue vinyl, matching the bedding and skirting boards. A large, dark stained closet sat in one corner, a short leather jacket hanging on the door. No less than five guitar cases sat in a line on the opposite side of the bed, some decorated with stickers, others bare and looked almost new. Aside from the rooms dominating pieces of furniture, it almost looked unlived in. The only thing giving the room life was the sleeping figure on the bed.

"It's very him, isn't it?" Tala commented with a smile, sitting down on the edge of the bed. She did a double take when she saw what he was using as a pillow. "Dear god! That bear's almost as big as me!"

Sure enough, beneath Vince's head lay an oversized teddy bear, the kind she was sure you could only buy at Christmas. Its fur was long and shaggy, white at the roots and a vivid, almost startling cerulean blue on the ends. It's big dark eyes stared up at her lifelessly with an expression of permanent happiness.

Letty watched her stroke her hands across the long soft fur, then move her attentions to Vince. "He was a get well gift from a friend." She watched a minute more, then moved to leave the room. She knew Vince would be fine as long as Tala was with him. "If you need anything, just holler. I'll be upstairs getting dinner ready."

"Oh! If I'm intruding -" Tala started, only to be silence by the hand.

"Are you busy tonight?"

"Well, no. But -"

"No buts. You're staying for dinner then. I'll call you when it's ready."

Tala sat in awed silence, absently running her fingers through Vince's messy hair. _I guess I'm staying then._ She thought, then noticed. His beard was gone, a short, fair regrowth of hair in its place. Two or three days old at the most. He looked like a completely different person and for a moment, just a moment, she considered liking the look on him. _Nah.. I miss the beard._

Regretfully, she shook his shoulder, hating to disturb him. "Vince?"

He stirred and his chest rumbled quietly, then, his eyes blinked open and Tala saw them clearly for the first time. They weren't dulled by drugs or fear. They were a bright crystal blue and they were smiling at her. _Beautiful_.

"Hey," his voice was sleep deepened and gruff. He rubbed at his eyes like a little boy.

Tala smiled warmly, brushing her fingers across his bottom lip. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

"Doesn't matter," his long fingers tangled in a loose ringlet hanging down over her shoulder, curling it around his finger then letting it spring free. He got a shy look on his face when he noticed her watching him. ".. Sorry."

Her tinkling laugh filled the room and in that instant, he felt just a little better.

"Vince, if you want to play with my hair, you go right ahead." She lay down beside him, her forehead pressed to his. "I missed you." She admitted quietly. When his hand moved back to her hair, she bit back her giggle. He was and always had been fascinated by her curls, and as far as she was concerned… That was fine by her. Just fine.


	10. Its tying you up while you're fading

_**A/N: Hello hello.. Another chapter for you lovely, beautiful people. Bought to you by my giddy mood.. It's one in the morning and I just got home from going to a WWE event.. screamed, laughed.. yes, I even swore. I bought over priced t-shirts! I sat behind a rude child, eight years old at the most, who kept proclaiming that one man was another's bitch.. it was wonderful.**_

_**Uh, yes.. anyway! The song for this chapter is called "Push and Pull" by Nikka Costa. Enjoy!**_

**_sparkly green._**

* * *

Vince pushed himself further into the corner, mindless to the pain flaring throughout his arm, fingers twitching violently against his stomach. With his knees tucked up underneath his chin, his thighs pushed against the braced arm, applying more pressure to the already throbbing limb. His shoulder jarred against the hard wall with each desperate push toward the corner. The hard skeletal outer of the brace twisted ever so slightly over his elbow, the straps not tight enough, and dug into the tender flesh below, tearing at the already delicate skin. Vince started to wheeze when he could feel a wetness slicking down his forearm.  
The tiled floor felt cool beneath him as opposed to the higher temperature of his body. He was sweating bullets and his head was pounding like a drum, literally blackening his vision. From somewhere above him, he could make out some kind of muffled sound, whether it be people walking into the room or a door being opened somewhere outside he couldn't be sure. 

"Oh my god… Dude, are you ok?" Someone asked. Someone unfamiliar. Vince howled as he felt a hand touch his arm and swung blindly at whoever it was that touched him. He heard scuffling, then the same voice that had spoken to him said something jumbled to someone else and everything went black.

* * *

Tala held the phone away from her ear, grimacing at the loud screeching coming down the line. She looked at the display. _Leon? What the hell is Leon doing calling me all- Vince!_

"Le.. Calm down, sweetie. Calm down." She bit her lip, pacing in the small hospital garden. "What's the matter with Vince?" she was shaking. The Leon she had come to know was close to unshakeable, especially when it came to his big brother. This Leon though, this one was scaring her.

"He's.. and he.. On the floor.. Can't wake him up," his voice changed from panicked to angry, "GET THE FUCK OUT!" A door slammed on the other end and Tala could feel herself pale.

"… Leon? Where are you?" She was already running back inside, heading for the staff room.

"We're at the diner on.. Shit.. Uh, it's the one across from that hair place. Fuck! It's got ugly yellow tables and chairs.."

She nodded to herself. Even though he was rather vague, she knew where he was talking about. In fact she knew it well. It was right around the corner from her apartment block. "I know the place, sweetie. Just try to stay calm and keep an eye on v, ok? I'll be there in five."

His heavy sigh made her hurry even more. "Tala?"

"Yeah, Le?"

"… He's bleeding."

* * *

When she arrived, she was met out the front by a tallish Hispanic man, bald with a goatee. He had a serious expression on his face. 

"Are you the nurse?" he asked hopefully as she approached. His hands had a thin smearing of blood on them.

Nodding, she followed him inside. There were a few people milling about, most having left after all the commotion. When she couldn't see Leon nor Vince anywhere, she turned to baldy. "Where is he?"

"He went to the bathroom for a minute, and some kid came running out saying he was having a fit or something," he pushed her toward the men's room, nervous. "Le's a mess in there."

"I'd expect no less," she took one look at the door and then back to baldy. "I'm going to need you to get Leon out of there. He'll just get in the way. Carry him if you need to."

Eyes wide, baldy followed her. "Yes, Ma'am."

Whatever Tala expected to see when she entered the men's bathroom of 'Julie's', what she was greeted with wasn't it.

Leon was kneeling beside an unconscious Vince, rocking slightly as he timidly pushed the hair out of Vince's closed eyes with one hand, and held a spot just below the inside of Vince's elbow with the other. The accursed brace lay off to the side, Vince's arm free. His face was wet from tears, much of which Tala had the feeling he shed while he was screaming at her on the phone.

"Le? You're going to have to move." She told him firmly, unable to get to Vince, wedged in the corner as he was, with Leon in the way. She motioned to baldy and before Leon could even protest he found himself being dragged towards the doorway. Not to be outdone, he kicked and fought the whole way, cussing like a sailor his first day of leave after drinking the town dry.

No sooner had the door swung shut did Vince's eyes start to flicker, seconds later fluttering open.

"You gotta stop scaring us like this, big guy." She cooed, wiping over his face with some damp paper towel. "What happened?" Mindful of the constant pain he felt, she dabbed at the small cut on his arm gently. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't prevent any further pain and he flinched away from her.

Confused, Vince tried to sit up, finding he lacked the energy to do so. Resigned to his position, he let himself ease back onto the floor. "Panic attack," he murmured, ashamed. "I thought if I came in here it might go away. Didn't want to embarrass Le or Hector."

_So baldy has a name. _"You should have told Leon what was happening instead of hiding it from him." She looked up at him briefly, carefully taping the tiny wound together. "Didn't help, did it."

His exhausted eyes stared up at her. ".. No." He tried to sit up again, successful this time due to Tala's surprisingly strong arm curled around his back. "Why am I so tired?"

"It's the adrenalin. It burns up all the sugar in your blood stream and usually leaves you tired with a nasty headache." she explained, wiping his face again. "It's normal to feel drained after a bad attack."

"… Is.. Is Le mad at me?" he asked boyishly, afraid to meet her eyes.

"Oh, baby," she hugged him gently, "Of course he's not! Now Hector, I think you put the fear of god into _him_." She teased kindly, sitting back on her heels. "You ready to face them?" Her fingers stroked his neck just above his collar, dipping into his thick hair every now and then. She pretended not to notice him leaning into the caress.  
"Wanna sit here.. Just for a while." He patted the cold tile beside him, his head tipped back against the wall. Once Tala was comfortable, or as comfortable as she would get, he leant into her side much like he had all the other times she had comforted him, his head resting in the crook of her neck.

"I'm sorry." He apologised after a while.  
Tala smiled against his hair. "Not your fault, Vince. Not your fault."

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" 

Leon shook his head, weary, and leant down to hug Tala. "I have to get back to Letty. Let her know what's going on." He squeezed her tightly, grateful. "Thankyou for coming so soon. I kinda lost it." He admitted, embarrassed. If she hadn't have turned up, he wasn't sure what he would have done. _I guess I'm not as collected as I thought I was_, he thought quietly, a little more than disappointed in himself. What if Tala hadn't answered her cell? He wasn't exactly the most stable person at present, so who knew what could have happened. Sure Vince had only passed out for a fairly short amount of time, but what if things had been serious? _As if they weren't serious enough…_

"It's nothing Leon." She pulled back, looking over her shoulder toward the couch, "I'll give one of you a call when he wants to come home."

Leon felt that lingering confusion bubble back up. "I don't understand why he doesn't want to come home.." he backed up into the hall at Tala's urging, looking down at her.

"He thinks he's embarrassed you." She said softly.

"Embarrassed me – What? Why the hell would he think that!"

Her hand waved at him, quieting him. "Le, you know he's very self conscious at the moment," she explained easily, "I guess he just thinks that if _he's_ embarrassed that you must be too... Or something like that." Her nose creased in confusion.

"That's fucking ridiculous and you know it!"

Her expressive eyes rolled at him, dark with carefully concealed worry. "Of course I do. It'll pass, Le. Just give it time."

Resigned, Leon nodded, trying to understand. "Alright, then. I'll talk to you tomorrow or something." He leant down to peck her cheek, "Take care of him."

Her bright, infectious smile beamed back at him. "Always. Now shoo.. Letty's waiting for you."

"Oh god," he chuckled, "Don't you start too. It's bad enough with Vince teasing me."

"He teases Letty too, you know." She said conspiringly. Leon smirked.

"Oh, I knew about _that_. Hell, I tease her too."

Tala laughed lightly. "Well then, I suppose it's about time you stopped teasing her and actually did something about it then, isn't it? I mean after all, Vince will probably end up crashing here and all…" she trailed off suggestively, her expression one of innocence.

Leon gasped, " Why Tala! If I knew you were planning on taking advantage of V," he winked, backing off, "I would've stayed too."

She laughed loudly. One of those full bodied laughs that warmed you completely. "Go, Leon! Go to your Nubian princess!"

"Hey.. How'd you know about that dream?"  
"Go away!" She laughed, stepping back inside. "I have an Orello to corrupt.. I mean care for!"

"Girl, he's more likely to corrupt **you**."  
She grinned mysteriously, already pushing the door shut. "You think?"

* * *

Letty jerked out of her seat, already on her feet when she heard the metallic scrape of car keys on the table in the living room. When she reached him, Leon was toeing off his boots, one hand pressed to the wall for support. He was moving slowly, a sure sign of fatigue.  
"Le?" 

He looked up at her, his face drawn and pale. "Hey," he pushed his shoes out of the way with his foot. "Vince is fine."

Her breath whooshed out of her lungs heavily. "Where is he?" She asked, looking toward the front door. Leon moved toward her, shuffling.  
"He's staying with Tala," he said with a raised brow, "You know, I think there's something going on there."

Letty rolled her eyes, leaning back to look at him as his arms curled around her waist. "No shit, Le. If you couldn't see that coming, you're blinder than I thought." She teased affectionately.

Leon pressed his tongue against his teeth, nodding to himself. "I'm not as blind as you think, Let." He brushed her hair back over her shoulder and away from her face, the backs of his knuckles dragging across her jaw. "I see a lot of interesting things."

Her eyes widened slightly as his touch turned into a caress, fingertips tracing from the full swell of her bottom lip to the sharp incline of her cheekbone, then up and over her brow.

He leaned in a little closer, "Let me know if I've got the wrong idea here, Leticia." His mouth was mere inches from hers, hovering just close enough for her to feel the warm puff of his breath on her upper lip. His mouth curved into a sexy little smirk when she moved closer.

"You're sure?" He asked, mouth brushing over hers, just barely. "You're sure it's me you want?"

"For fucks sake, Leon! Just kiss me already." She snapped and twisted her fists into his shirt, tugging him closer and finally closing that tiny gap between them. Only this time, she wasn't dreaming.


	11. Insecurity

**A/N: Hi all, time for another update. I'd just like to thank everyone who has read and/or reviewed so far. It means a lot to know that other people are actually enjoying what I write. Thankyou all so very much.**

**Songs that set the mood (or mine at least) for this chapter… "Beautiful," (Tala) and "Green." (Vince) Both are by Alex Lloyd. Checkem out.**

**P.s. Jet! I quoted you in my profile hun.. I hope that's ok. If not, just let me know and I'll take it down.**

**Sparkly green**

Tala rolled her eyes tiredly, phone pressed to her ear. Nobody liked being woken up at seven in the morning on their day off and she was no exception. She tugged on the oversized sleeve of her sweater, the soft knitted cuff falling over her knuckles as her fingers drummed on the counter top.

She winced to herself as a particularly high shriek attacked her eardrum. _My boss is a harpy_ she decided. The shrieking continued.

"Good lord," she mouthed silently to the empty room, resting her head against her hand, fingers tangled in her already tousled hair. She stared out the kitchen window, four stories up. Outside the sky was greying, that small hint of blue slowly disappearing behind thick dark clouds. Her favourite kind of weather. She smiled when she thought of crawling back into bed and sleeping the day away.

"_- and if you think you can just leave whenever you deem it necessary, you've got another thing coming!_"

Tala sat up straighter, her sweater swamping her tiny form. "Now just you wait a minute," she started, shrugging the shoulder of her sweater back into place, "I told my supervisor that I had a family emergency! I **asked** if I could leave and despite what that old bat told you, I had **permission** and it **was** necessary!" She snarled into the receiver. She felt like tugging her hair out. The only people on earth who infuriated her more than her bosses were her stuck up relatives on her mothers side of the family. Pompous shits.

Her boss seemingly ignored this little outburst. "You're scheduled for the afternoon shift this afternoon. I expect you to show your face or else it's your job, Miss Mackenzie."

Anger flooded Tala's body, her jaw clenched tightly. "But it's my _day off_." She ground out, trying to remain the least bit civil.

"You **will** show up for work this afternoon Miss Mackenzie, or you **will not** have a job to come to tomorrow." The voice spat haughtily. "You make the decision. What is more important?"

Slender fingers pinched the bridge of her nose, fighting off the tension headache. "Fine," she muttered.

The syrupy tone that met her response made the normally placid girl squeeze the phone until she could feel her knuckles start to ache.

"We'll see you at two thirty, Miss Mackenzie." Click.

Tala scowled, gently replacing the cordless into the cradle. "I hate my life," she grumbled, dropping her head into her hands. Tears of frustration sprung forth, wetting her lashes. She had promised Vince the night before that she would go with him to physiotherapy at four and the thought of disappointing him unsettled her more than the thought of being fired.

"Shit," she rubbed at her face. "Shit, shit, double shit."

With a heaving sigh, she slipped from the stool and padded across the cool tile and into the carpeted hallway. The pale walls gave the small space a larger feel, making it much brighter. This was greatly due to the small window at the end of the short hall, pale light flooding through it. Tala tugged the blind down and instantly, the hall fell into a dim, early morning glow.

She leant in her doorway, arms folded across her chest. Shirt abandoned, Vince lay on the side of the bed closest to her, face down with his head turned toward her. His eyes were slitted, barely open, his hair a mess. Tala was happy now that the store had been unable to get her bed in any size smaller than the queen, otherwise the large man sprawled across her bed would never have fit. Not that she had any inkling that she would be sharing with anyone when she purchased it.

He wriggled his fingers slightly in greeting, fighting back the grimace that the movement evoked. "Morning." He rasped.

Tala smiled and pushed away from the door, walking over and sitting on the soft floor beside the bed. "How'd you sleep?" she asked, brushing her fingers through his horrid bed hair. It only served to spike up the dark strands even more. He nodded slightly.

"No nightmares," he admitted, shifting his cheek closer. His eyes took on a pleased gleam when Tala smiled at him.

"That's wonderful," she cooed, gently rubbing his arm. At first he whimpered at the sensation of pressure on the damaged limb, then gradually as he became used to her touch, the pain seemed to ebb away to a dull ache. Either that, or he was just more accustomed to hurting than he thought.

Careful not to touch the denser scarring on his forearm, Tala ran her fingers over the light, already fading silvery pink lines just above his elbow. The ones that cut through that beautiful tattoo. "Does it hurt, Vince?" she motioned to his fingers, twitching ever so slightly of their own accord. "When you twitch?"

He nodded silently, his face solemn. "It always hurts." He admitted quietly, his eyes downcast.

Hurt, mixed with anger, filled her. He was in unnecessary pain because of a select few people's bias. One of which had taken great pleasure in making her life hell as of late. That stupid hose beast, Claudia. It was **her** fault that Tala was in trouble.

Her expression must have darkened at the thought of the senior nurse because Vince sat up. His feet dropped to the carpet, knees spread wide.

"What's wrong?" He asked, agitated all of a sudden. Tala knew that if she didn't calm him straight away they would have a repeat of yesterday on their hands.

"Nothing, nothing," she shook her head dismissively, urging him to lay back down. Stubbornly, he refused. Although calmer, he looked suspicious.

"Tala.." he growled, eyebrows furrowed. She felt her chest swell at his concern, and a little awe at his determined face. It was the first hint of his old personality shining through, aside from the teasing big brother side, that she had seen from him. Letty had filled her in on what he used to be like. A hard-ass, loner type with serious trust issues. Aggressive and more than a little mean. He was the team's henchman. The thought of him being that person didn't quite scare her, she just had trouble envisioning the self conscious, shy man as that kind of person.

She let her breath out in a big whoosh, scratching at her dishevelled hair. "I got a call from my boss," she looked up at him, glad to see his face had softened into just plain concern. It was then she decided that it was best never to lie to Vincent Noah Orello. "I have to go into work this afternoon because I left like I did yesterday."

He mouthed 'oh' and rubbed a hand over his unruly locks. When he was done he looked like he'd stuck his finger in a power outlet.

"So you can't come to my session with me then?" he asked unsurely, trying to clarify things. Tala nodded.

"I'm so sorry, Vince. I know I promised I would," she stroked the side of his thigh, still clad in his loose denim jeans, "-and I **would** still go with you even though I have work any other time.."

His eyes narrowed. "But?"

Tala inwardly cursed. _Perceptive shit!_ She thought affectionately. "If I don't go in this afternoon, I could lose my job."

He frowned. "That's fucked, Tal." He stated. "It's not right."

Defeated, Tala nodded, leaning her head against the edge of the mattress. "I know, babe. There's nothing I can do though.. I hate disappointing you, but I love my job." She met his eyes, amazed at the warmth she saw in them. "I can't lose my job, Vince."

He stared at her for a moment, then with his good arm, he tugged her to her knees and directed her in between his.

"Promise me one thing?" he asked timidly, roughened fingers tracing the lines of her features.

Tala nodded, bemused. "Name it."

"Promise me you wont be as nice to any other patient as you were to me," he smiled slightly at her laughter, "At least the male ones."

"I think I can swing that." She laughed and leant into his chest, rubbing her cheek against the skin over his heart. His good arm squeezed her to him.

"I didn't mean to get you into trouble," he whispered close to her ear. Tala smiled at the feel of his stubble scraping against her skin.

"For this, it was worth it." She leant up and pecked him on the lips, quickly standing afterwards. Not even noticing his stunned expression, she started out of the room. "I'm going for a shower, big guy." She called back over her shoulder. As she was turning out into the hall, she caught a brief glimpse at his pink face. She frowned quizzically. _Wonder what that was about? _

_

* * *

_

Letty glanced at Vince out of the corner of her eye, paranoid. Ever since she had picked him up from Tala's he had been unnaturally quiet, staring out the window at the passing traffic. Occasionally he would flinch, or shift positions, but he remained silent for the first fifteen minutes of the trip.

"Alright," she said finally, tired of the silence, "What's the matter? Did you two have a fight or something?"

He stared out the window, not looking at her. ".. I got Tala in trouble. She has to go in to work on her day off."

"Is that why I'm going with you to this gig instead? She got called in?"

He nodded, adjusting the seat belt around him. "They were going to fire her if she didn't go in," he added quietly, "It's my fault."

"Vince, you did not make her come running to your side yesterday. She did it because she loves you to death and was scared for you. She wanted to be there for you."

He turned to her, a bitter, sad smile on his face. "She can't love me Letty."

He sounded so sure of it that Letty almost drove off the road, shocked. How the hell can he think that? Can't he see how she feels about him?  
"Vincent.." lost for words, Letty trailed off. Finally, "Why can't she?"

He scoffed, eyes closed, head tilted back. "Tala deserves better than me, Let. She's worth more than a handicapped, barely educated, ex-con who can't even take care of himself.." his tone was laced with so much self loathing that Letty felt like slapping him to make him wake up.

"If she didn't want to be with you Vince, she wouldn't be." She told him firmly, nodding to herself. It was the same theory she was using with Leon. If he wanted her, baggage and all, that was just fine with her.

The look on his face was one she had witnessed a few times before during his hospital stay. Defeat. He hadn't even tried, and he was already giving up.

"Vince, you listen to me and you listen good," she pulled the car over and turned to face him. "Tala. Loves. You. Trust me, boo. A woman does **not** take care of a man the way she takes care of you unless there are some serious feelings involved."

He started to interject. "But she's only known me for a few months. She-"

"No, Vince. You can't push the best thing that has ever happened to you away. Do you love her?"

He paled slightly, eyes wide. "Wh- What?"

Letty rolled her eyes. "Easy question, Vince. Yes or no. I'll ask again.. Do you love Tala?"

This time, he nodded. "I… I can't make her happy, Let.. I try so hard and I always mess things up.."

"Vince… She lights up when we even mention your name. Trust me, you make her happy."

He was grasping at straws. "But I'm broken.."

"Let her fix you then. After all this shit, you deserve some happiness, Vince. Let the poor girl in."

He was quiet for a while, just staring at her. "We're only friends at the moment." He said in a less dejected tone. Letty grinned at his use of 'at the moment'.

"Well then," she started the car and pulled back onto the road, "You'll just have to kick it up a notch then, wont you? I'm sure you remember how."

The rest of the trip was spent in companionable silence, unbroken until they were at the hospital. It was when they were already inside and in the waiting room that he turned to her.

"Letty?"

She looked up from the magazine she was flipping through. "Yeah, boo?"

He stared at her, unmoving even when his name was called. Vaguely, he motioned to a spot on her throat. "You have a hickey."

_

* * *

_Tala staggered in the door the next morning, bleary eyed and ready to just curl up and die. She was so tired she was surprised she had made it home alive. 

She shuffled into the kitchen for some aspirin, her head pounding. "What's this?" she asked herself, eyeing the note taped to the microwave door. The scrawl was feminine and elegant, so Tala was guessing it was Letty's handwriting. She knew for a fact it couldn't be Vince's, him being unable to write with his right hand and all. She snatched the paper off the door with a confused smirk

_'Tala, thought you might be hungry when you got in. Leon made Chicken Caesar Salad for lunch today, so Vince asked me to bring some over for you. Chicken is in the microwave and the rest in the fridge in a container. Yes. It is edible. Letty and Vince.'_

Tala, exhausted as she was, felt the tears welling up in her eyes at the thoughtful gesture. She hadn't even considered dinner last night. She wasn't given the chance. It was sprung on her last minute that her shift was actually a double, so all she had eaten was a giant choc chip cookie from the vending machine in the staff room.

Looking at the clock on the oven, she hesitantly picked up the phone and dialled automatically, at the same time reheating the food in the microwave. After a minute or so of ringing, it stopped and she heard a grumble. Her mood instantly lifted.

"Thank you," she said softly, opening the fridge door.

Vince's low timber bought a smile to her face. "Welcome." He mumbled, still half asleep. "You just getting home now?" he asked, disbelieving. He sounded slightly more awake now.

She sighed, carrying the containers into the living room. Shouldering the cordless phone, she dropped onto the couch. "Yeah," she blew an errant lock of hair out of her face.

She could hear the rustling of him rolling around under that down quilt. "Fuck babe, it's quarter past six.. Go to bed."

"I will, I will," she assured, "I'm there as soon as I.. Wait." She grinned, "You called me babe."

There was a silence, then the sound of Vince clearing his throat. "… You give me pet names." He argued weakly.

Tala grinned, slithering lower on the couch until she was slouched almost uncomfortably. Her smile was audible in her tone when she spoke.

"Goodnight Vince."

"… G'night, Tal."

She waited until she heard the click of his phone hanging up, and then, only then, did she bury her face in the nearest cushion and scream happily._ Get a hold of yourself, girl! You're not a twelve year old so stop squealing like one!_

Then, she dissolved into a fit of giggles.


	12. Early Morning Idiocy and Strats

**A/N: This takes place in around mid to late November, just so we're clear. This chapter is a result of my deranged mind at four a.m. after three days of insomnia.. Blame the insomnia.**

**Thankyou to my wonderful reviewers.. You guys kick ass. **

* * *

"Open." 

Letty stood beside the couch holding a glass of water and Vince's morning tablet, trying not to laugh at the two scruffy men with some of the worst bed hair she had ever encountered. Vince's hair, now that it was longer, stuck up in all directions and looked as if it were purposefully done, but Leon's… Leon's was flat on one side of his head and sticking up on the other.

Both were engrossed in a twenty year old episode of The Smurfs, wrapped in their quilts. Outside, rain pattered against the sidewalk softly and a slight breeze blew through the open window. Neither could be bothered putting on more clothing than their boxers, and tank in Vince's case, but in a move that baffled her to no end, they were both more than capable of trekking back downstairs and retrieving their blankets.

Obediently, Vince's jaw dropped open and he tilted his head toward her, eyes never leaving the television.

"That Gargamel," Leon grumbled, chewing on a piece of toast, "He needs a good ass whoopin."

Swallowing his pill and the mouthful of water, Vince nodded in agreement. "You know why Grouchy is grouchy, don't you. And Smurfette… Pfft.. Don't get me started on her. Skank."

Letty stood back, amazed as the two discussed the male to female ratio of the Smurfs as if it were one of the most important topics on earth. All because of Vince's one little statement about Smurfette.

".. No, no! Think about it, Le. How many female Smurfs are there in the show? Two, right? And one of 'em is a kid. Now look at how many little kiddie Smurfs there are in the show… That just aint right. Baby Smurfs are made the same way baby people are! They don't just pop up outta the ground. She's a ho, Leon. **A ho**!" Vince finished, his tone full of conviction. He even braved the chilly air on his skin and stomped his foot for extra emphasis.

Leon erupted into a fit of laughter. "You really have too much time on your hands, V. Jesus. I think those morphine pills you take for the pain have gone to your brain." He snickered, taking another bite out of his toast.

Vince glowered at his younger brother. "Well at least I don't look like I spent the night sleeping against an iron!" He spat childishly. "And for your information, I've thought that about her for years."

Sensing an oncoming argument, Letty decided to interject. "Actually, Le.. It makes sense if you think about it. There are an awful lot of children for a village with only one female." She pointed out. _I can't believe I'm actually getting into this with them. _

Vince smiled up at her brightly. "Thankyou, Letty. Nice to know **someone** uses their brain." He glared at Leon as he said the last part, bundling himself into the blanket further.

Leon scowled at the pair from across the room. "I give you sex.. and you take **his** side?" he asked incredulously, "Anyway, maybe the boy Smurfs can have babies together. Maybe they get gay when they need to." He reasoned.

"Did you just say what I think you did?" Letty asked through her laughter, sitting on the arm of the couch.

Vince held his hand up. "Ok, ok! Number one! It's nice to know that you two enjoy each others… _company_… But I'd rather not hear it, or about it. Thankyou." He ignored Leon's insane laughter, "And number two? Aren't I supposed to be the one on drugs? What the fuck were you thinking when you spat that out? The boy Smurfs can have babies together.. You're an idiot. Smurfette is a slut, Leon. End of story."

Leon rolled his eyes, still laughing, and spread himself across the two seater. "And that, ladies and gentlemen is why you don't let Vince get up and take his pills early. Fucking lunatic."

Letty smothered her laughter with her hand and walked back into the kitchen, listening to the pair's bickering. It felt good to hear them getting back to a semblance of normalcy. Well, as normal as three people living in a house that belonged to someone they hated could be.

She reached for her shoe, slipping it on over her socked foot. She had gotten a job as a secretary at the local vets. Sure it sucked seeing the condition of some of the animals, but so far the good far outweighed the bad. A week or two earlier, a woman had come in with a pregnant American Bulldog, Leon's favourite breed and she was planning on getting him one of the pups for his birthday. It was already teed up with the owner and all. He had always wanted one but Mia was allergic and Dom had flat out refused to have a 'filthy animal' living in his home.

Still unsure as to whether she was willing to share him with the puppy, Letty was already looking forward to seeing his reaction when she gave it to him anyway.

"Letty!" Leon called out to her, "It's quarter till nine! You're going to be late for work!"

Glancing at the clock, she grabbed up her keys and headed out into the living room. Both men looked up at her upon entry.

"Ok, boys," she started, leaning down to kiss Vince's cheek and give him a hug, "You two behave. Le don't forget you have work at eleven and V, Tala will pick you up at one for your appointment." She leaned down to kiss Leon goodbye, lingering a little longer than necessary.

"Letty.. It's five to." Vince's voice cut in from across the room, making her tear away from Leon and bolt for the door, calling her goodbyes behind her and promising to drive carefully on the wet roads.

Leon looked at the clock on the VCR, and slowly turned to Vince. It was only eight forty seven. "That was cold, bro."

Vince smiled at him smugly. "I do my best."

* * *

"Do you want something to eat?" Tala asked, going into the kitchen. Vince dropped onto the couch tiredly. He was aching from his fingertips to his neck. All he wanted to do was take a few pain killers and crash out in his nice comfy bed with or without Tala, depending on whether she had work or not. 

"V? You hungry, sweetheart?"

He opened his eyes, holding his arm out to her. "No. Do you have work tonight?" He asked hesitantly as she curled up beside him, inhaling the sweet honey like scent of her hair. Her favourite scent constantly changed and this weeks, so far, seemed to be a light honey like fragrance. It suited her.

"Nope," she answered lazily, rubbing circles over the scar on his side. He wasn't as conscious about it with her as he was with others. She had seen his scars, seen him at his worst.

"Will you stay here tonight? I mean, if you don't want to that's fine.."

Tala rolled her eyes good naturedly. "V, I'll stay. As long as you leave a lamp or something on."

His eyes were wide and eager to please. "Of course.. Of course."

* * *

His bare back was to her and he was sitting on the floor looking at something in front of him. Faintly, she could hear him sniffle every now and then. His shoulders were hunched over and the dark strap of his brace ran diagonally across his upper back and looped underneath his left arm, then back across his chest to hold his arm immobile while he slept. The pinkish scar, the exit wound from where he was shot, looked like a shiny patch against the otherwise unblemished skin of his back, obvious and raised up slightly. It was yet to fade. 

At first when she heard his quiet crying, she thought it was from the pain, but he hardly ever commented on that aspect of his injury any more. He hardly ever commented on it in the first place at all. When she crawled over to his side of the bed though and peered over his shoulder, she saw what was causing him so much pain.

His left hand outstretched and resting on the dark rosewood, Vince's Strat lay in it's case, opened, in front of him. Tala felt the lump forming in her throat as she watched him drag his fingers across the lacquered body of the guitar. His shoulders shook a little more. She had always wondered about the guitar cases that lined his walls, wondered whether he still looked at the instruments he could no longer play due to a cruel twist of fate. She wondered whether he missed the feeling of his fingers sliding over the cool metal strings, the way each guitar sounded slightly different, whether it hurt to have them so close, but so far out of reach… Now she had her answer.

He **did** miss the way the strings felt beneath his fingers. He **did** miss the sound of perfectly pitched notes filling his room… He missed playing.

Carefully, as not to startle him, she noisily climbed to the floor behind him and slid her hands across his back, then around to rest on his ribs, her cheek pressed to the centre of his back. She nuzzled the hard ridges of his spine and pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. He didn't respond, his eyes still fixated on the contents of the case in front of him.

"This is an American Vintage '62 Strat," he started, unmoving. "My mother bought it for me for Christmas a few years back.. It wasn't long after that that she left her husband and Leon in Miami." He paused, choking back tears. "He used to hit Le.. So he came to live with me instead. Him and Jesse. They'd been living with me for about a year when we got a call.. Mama was dying. We barely made it to Houston in time."

She squeezed him a little tighter around the middle, relieved when his large hand fumbled to grab hold of her smaller one.

"Is that when you promised to take care of him?" she asked softly, her lips moving ever so slightly against his smooth back. He nodded silently, still staring at the beautiful bluish guitar.

"She died ten minutes after we arrived." He explained, untangling his fingers to touch the glossy surface. He chuckled slightly. "She.. She said that she was going to get the black one, but as soon as she saw this colour it reminded her of me."

Tala unwrapped herself from around him and moved to sit beside him, but Vince had other plans. She allowed him to pull her into his lap and settled in the hollow between his crossed legs. She leaned forward slightly to avoid pressing on his sore arm.

"What colour _is _it?" She asked, leaning over it to have a closer look. Up close, the instrument was simply stunning. Lord only knew what he had hidden away in the remaining four cases against the wall.

"Ocean turquoise," he answered, his hand resting on the bend of her kneecap. "You think she was right?"

Apprehensively, Tala looked at him over her shoulder and almost broke down there and then. His face was pale, his cheeks splotchy from crying. His nose was a little red and his eyes were glassy. He had been crying long before she woke up and heard him. Reigning in her grief for him, she looked from him back to the guitar. She saw the reason Vince's mother had picked the blue, sorry, ocean turquoise, right away. It was the same colour as his eyes. Maybe a tad more metallic, but the colour was remarkably similar.

Avoiding answering right away, she turned slightly in his lap so she was side on to him. "You miss playing don't you."

His response was a watery nod. "I don't want to sell them," he looked at the row of cases, then to the Strat in front of them, "-but I have no use for them any more."

Tala looked at him, slack jawed. "You are **not** selling your guitars, Vincent! If you sell them you'll be selling a piece of yourself."

His eyes shone with unshed tears. "But I can't look at them, Tal. It hurts."

"How about this," she began, looping her arms around his neck. Her fingers played with the dark hair at the nape of his neck. "If you like, so you don't have to look at them, we can move them out of your room. Upstairs or something."

Vince leaned forward, resting his cheek against her chest just above her breast. His prickly beard rubbed against the exposed skin, tickling her. "Can I keep a couple at your place?" He rushed to explain when he felt her stiffen against him. "It's just.. We might be moving out soon and I want them to be safe and I figured that your place is as good as any if not better, and-" he stopped when he noticed Tala's amused expression. "I was rambling, wasn't I?"

She nodded, giggling quietly. "Yeah, baby. You were." Her fingernails scraped against his scalp, making him tip his head back. It always seemed to calm him when he got frazzled. He made that quiet little moaning sound in the back of his throat when she brushed over a spot near his ear and his eyes fluttered shut. Tala grinned to herself, committing the location to memory. _Interesting_. She raked her fingers over the same place again, just to be sure, a little harder now. This time a low growl bubbled up from his chest. His eyes opened and fixed on her, glazed and just a little feral.

His tone was full of warning. "Babe.. Don't."

Innocently, she brushed over the spot again, willing him to make that sound again. Not one to disappoint, he did and she barely refrained from shivering against him. "_Don't_, it hurts? Or _don't_, it turns me on?"

His eyes lost a little of their feral gleam, instead replaced with a look of self consciousness. "The second one." He answered after a moment. When he realised she wasn't about to move, he cleared his throat slightly. His hand came up to rest on her waist, long fingers splayed across her side and ribs.

"You don't want me Tal. I'm a criminal."

She shrugged flippantly. "Don't care."

"I've been in jail," at her blank look, "for assault."

She leant in and brushed a kiss over his throat, nipping at his Adam's apple. "So what?"

"With a deadly weapon." She stopped this time and sat back, eyeing him.

"Are you trying to scare me away, Vincent?"

He avoided eye contact, letting his hand slip away from her to the floor beside him. "You deserve better, is all." He jumped, surprised when he felt Tala's small hands on his cheeks. When he looked at her, she looked pissed off. For the first time since he had met her, she truly looked pissed off.

"You listen to me, Vince. I don't want better than you! I don't want some guy who works all day, comes home and doesn't want to see me! I do not want some clean shaven, suit wearing jackass who thinks he's prettier than me-"

"That's not possible." Vince interrupted softly. Tala's anger seemed to dwindle at his statement and she sighed, leaning her forehead against his.

"Vince, I don't want anyone like that. You know why?"

He shook his head, staring into her dark, dark eyes.

She leant in that little bit further and kissed him tenderly. "Because they're not you, big guy. I love **you**, not some stuffy jerk who needs an attitude adjustment."

Vince swallowed thickly, still reeling from her kiss. "Love you too."

"Then why the hell are you trying to convince me that you're not good enough for me?"

"Because I can't give you anything.." he trailed off weakly, knowing he wasn't about to win this argument.

Tala rolled her eyes and climbed off him, standing up. "Vince. I don't want anything more than you've given me up til now.. Well.. Maybe your body. That'd be nice." She smirked, visibly contemplating it. Vince gaped at her.

"Tala!"

She laughed at his shocked outburst. "Come on baby," she helped him to his feet. "Come back to bed."

Vince eyed her warily, allowing himself to be lead by the hand. "You're a fiend." He dead panned.

"I'm not the one who's adamant about Smurfette being a slut," she threw back over her shoulder, crawling across the bed to 'her' side. She had been privy to a repeat viewing of the argument over dinner earlier.

Vince frowned, throwing the blanket back, grumbling. "…Well she **is**."


	13. All I Ever Wanted

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed that last chapter.. I really wasn't too sure of the smurf part. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who over analyses the procreational habits of the little blue people. **

**Song for the chapter.. 'Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart' by HIM.**

* * *

Letty hugged the cushion closer to her chest, serenely watching Leon at the other end of the couch. His fingers were carefully holding one of her toes, his face the picture of concentration as he applied a coat of candy pink nail polish to her toenails. He was chattering away at the same time, used to talking to someone as he worked. On more than one occasion, back when the team still existed and everyone had full use of all limbs, she often found herself sitting on an old milk crate listening to him jabber on as he airbrushed some of the most insane artwork she had ever seen onto customer cars. He never seemed to be concentrating, just going about his job almost recklessly, but upon closer inspection you could see that glimmer of determined concentration in his emerald eyes. He was the kind of person who always drew in pen, confident they wouldn't make a mistake. 

Watching him, Letty felt her heart swell at the knowledge that he was all hers. To think that he was under her nose the whole time and she had never seen him for who he was. Leon had always just been there. His long fingers tightly capped the nail polish, setting it down on the coffee table.

"All done." He stated proudly, blowing on the wet varnish.

Letty held her feet up in the air, twiddling her toes. Satisfied that he'd done a good job, she lowered them again onto his lap. The television hummed quietly in the background.

"Le?" she asked after a long silence, watching him absently stroke her calf as he watched the TV. He turned to her, expression questioning. His fingers were still skimming along the smooth skin of her leg.

"Yesum?"

"When you kiss me.." he started to grin, "-on the inside of the wrist…" the grin faded back into his expression of indifference. His hand stopped moving, gripping her ankle loosely.

"What about it?" he asked, uncomfortable. He looked away from her face as she sat up and shimmied closer.

"Why do you do that? Not the kissing part, that I enjoy," that got a weak smile from him, "-but why the inside of the wrist? I've noticed V does it too."

Leon sighed deeply, straight from his gut. He suddenly looked older, more tired. "Why do I have to explain, Let? Why can't you just take it for what it is?" His hand ran over his face roughly.

"What is it, Leon?"

He looked her dead in the eye. "It's a kiss, Letty." He stood up, walking toward the kitchen.

"Le! Please.." she pleaded, wanting to follow him but knowing that if he wanted to be alone his mood would only turn foul. His steps faltered slightly, slowing to a stop.

"Mama always told us that we were her life. As long as she could feel our heartbeat when she kissed us she could be sure we weren't just a dream."

Letty swallowed the lump in her throat. "She did the same thing?" She asked, noticing the sad slump in his posture.

"Yeah," he answered quietly, starting out of the room. "I couldn't handle you being just a dream, Let."

The back door banged shut behind him.

She had been sitting in stunned silence, dewy eyed, for almost half an hour when she heard the scrape of the front door opening, seconds later revealing a rather damp, but happy looking Vince. He almost glowed as he bounded over to her.

"Hi, Let!" He pressed a kiss to her cheek and sat beside her on the edge of the seat. "I wanna show you something." He was rooting around in his pocket, a wide, beaming smile brightening his features when he produced a navy velvet jewellery box.

Letty could have sworn she felt her heart stop beating for a moment, then restart when she realised the box was too big to be a ring of any kind. She looked up at him, curious. As soon as she did she knew meeting his eyes was a mistake.

His features lost some of their exuberance. The velvet box was forgotten, resting on his thigh. "What's wrong? Why.. Tears.." he fumbled to say something, clumsily brushing the dampness from her cheeks. She giggled at his obvious concern, wiping her eyes. "It's nothing, boo. Now you show me what you were going to."

He studied her for a moment, then handed her the box. His cheeks were slightly pink. "I uh, can't open it one handed." He explained self consciously, scratching at his eyebrow. His knee was bouncing a million miles a minute as he watched her open it.

Letty stared upon the necklace in awe. It was a white gold box chain, polished to the point that it was winking at her in the muted lighting of the living room. Hanging from the centre was a dainty white gold firefly charm, no bigger than the base circumference of a shot glass, tiny crystal chips running along the length of its wings.

"My god, Vince! Is this for Tala?" She assumed right, barely able to resist from cooing to herself at his enthused nod. Vince had never invested a decent amount of money in a woman before. "Why a firefly?" she asked curiously. The beautiful trinket sparkled up at her.

"She's my firefly." He said simply, shrugging. There wasn't a hint of embarrassment on his face at all.

Letty grinned, running a finger over the delicate charm. "Explain." She ordered gently. This time, he did look a little embarrassed.

"Well.. You know how fireflies come out when it starts getting dark and make everything look pretty?" At her nod, he continued. "Well, Tala's my firefly. She makes the darkness easier to bear."

She almost dropped the box when she heard his explanation, her fingers fumbling to catch it before it hit the floor. _That had to be the single most romantic thing ever uttered under this roof.. And it was Vince who said it_. She turned to him.

"Does _she_ know this?"

He nodded, accepting the jewellery box back. "She cried." He admitted quietly. "I didn't mean to make her cry."

Letty threw her arms around his neck, laughing. "Boo, you know she didn't cry 'cause she was upset."

He nodded, smiling shyly. "I know." His face turned darker again. "Speaking of crying, are you sure you're alright? Le didn't hurt you? You didn't get fired did you?"

Patting his chest, Letty stood up. "Yes I am, no he didn't and no I did not." She wiped at her face, "Why don't you go hide that somewhere and then come help me with dinner?"

He didn't move, glacial blue eyes boring a hole into her. "You're sure?"

"Yes! Le just sprung something on me that I wasn't expecting is all.," she waved him off, "Hurry up, V."

He rose to his feet, smiling again. "A'right.. Be right back." And he disappeared into the hall.

Letty watched him go, slowly realising that there was much more to Leon and Vince than anyone had ever given them credit for.

* * *

Leon pushed at the flap of torn skin over his knuckle, eyes riveted on the blood that oozed from the grease coated wound. It was the same finger he always seemed to be hurting, whether it be from jamming it in a door, burning it, scraping it while he was beneath the hood of a car.. Always the same finger. He cussed to himself, shaking his hand. 

A light knock on the garage door, so quiet he would have missed it if he was doing something, revealed a tired Tala. "Hey, Le." She sighed, leaning against the door jam.

He gave her a weak smile. "Hi, shorty." He reached for a dirty rag and started cleaning the blood away. "I'm not sure if Vince is home yet… Been out here a while." He winced at the feel of something gritty pushing into the tiny wound. "Fucker.." he swore quietly, squeezing at the knuckle.

"You alright?" She asked. He could tell she was concerned but she wasn't about to butt in where she wasn't welcome to. He respected that about her. If he said he was fine, she would take his word for it and leave him to it, unlike Mia. Mia would force him into the bathroom and attack him with five different kinds of antiseptic creams and gels, try to tell him he needed stitches and make a big deal out of nothing.

"I think I got some metal shavings in it," he mumbled, turning his hand in the light trying to see. "Just rinse it out?"

Tala nodded. She was still in her scrubs and looked a fright. Leon smirked. Vince would be all over her to get some rest as soon as she stepped in that door.

"Yeah," she answered lazily, taking a look, "It's nothing dire. Just throw a bandaid on it with some drawing ointment or something if you're concerned."

"Hey, Tala?" He called after her, watching her leave the garage. She turned to him, "I'm sorry."

Confusion creased her brow. "What for?"

"For grabbing you that time in the hospital.. I had no right. I was just so pissed about everything that was going on.. I didn't even know he was there for the first week."

She turned back into the garage and pulled herself up onto the bench. "You didn't know he was in the hospital?" She asked, a sceptical look on her face. "You're his brother…"

Leon leaned back against the side of the Skyline, legs crossed at the ankle. "The team didn't know that." He explained, still picking at the bloody knuckle, "Jesse knew, but the was it. Let and I thought Jesse was with Vince, keeping him company." He swallowed the burning sensation starting to build up in his throat. "Dom or Mia neglected to inform us that Jesse had been murdered the day we left."

"They **_what_**! What kind of friends are they?" She looked horrified.

Leon scowled. "They're not any more. We spent so many years trying to make Dom happy and keep him that way. Vince morso than me," he slid to the floor, elbows resting on raised knees. "V and Dom were best friends." He laughed humourlessly, looking up at her perched on the bench. "If Dom had asked him to, Vince would have gone to the end of the earth and thrown himself off. So fucking loyal to someone who didn't give a shit about him."

Tala's face softened at the mention of Vince and Leon knew that his brother had finally picked the right one. "Sounds like the big guy."

He nodded, picking at the frayed rip over the knee of his jeans. "That is Vince. Loyal. The big bastard's like a fucking dog sometimes I swear."

"Hey now," she laughed, "Don't you call my man a dog."

Leon grinned. "Newsflash, Tala. All men are dogs." He told her, "Some are just trained better." He paused, "He knew shit was goin on. Somethin wasn't right."

"Vince?"

"Yeah. Vince. When Brian came sniffin' around Mia, he knew. Dom didn't believe him though." He met Tala's eyes, "Dominic believed Brian over Vince. He had known Brian for a few weeks… Vince since they were eight or nine. V never said nothin, but you could tell it stung."

Tala's eyes had turned that dark, chocolaty brown they went when she was concerned or angry. "Dominic sounds like a self centred prick." She spat.

"I guess he is," Leon uttered, "We spent so long doing his bidding.. Vince got arrested for him, Jesse died in the end, Let gave up everything to be with him.." the last sounded like it had to be forced out of him.

"What did you give up?"

Leon looked away. "I've loved Letty for six years... What do you think I gave up for the sake of Dom's team?"


	14. It Takes So Much Out Of Me To Pretend

**A/N: Hehemm.. I just won $300.. Go me! Anywho, thankyou oh so much to the wonderful people who read and/or reviewed the last chapter. Your kind words have inspired me to post earlier than I planned.**

**The music for this chapter was a mixture of Fuel's "Falls on Me", "Half Life" by Duncan Sheik and "Possession" by Sarah McLachlan. Those three songs kinda made it for me as I was writing. Happy reading.**

* * *

Vince shifted the towel over his lap. For the first time he could remember since he lost his virginity, he felt shy about being naked in front of a woman. Well... Almost naked. He was having too much trouble wrapping the towel around him one handed, so he settled for spreading it over his lap after he sat on the edge of the bed. Water was still dripping from his hair, fresh out of the shower. Tiny rivulets of moisture trailed down over his neck and onto his chest, then ran a trail down over his abdomen and soaked into the towel below his navel. He nervously avoided looking at Tala as she picked the remnants of neon pink silly string out of his hair. If he did look up, he would be nose first into her cleavage. She was close enough for him to smell her, a mixture of soap, perfume and something sweeter that was distinctly her. Her body heat seared at his exposed bicep as she leant closer. He squirmed, suddenly uncomfortable. 

"Baby, sit still. You've got a blob of this crap stuck here." Her gentle fingers worked through his hair with the comb, tugging slightly beneath the patch of neon pink goop. "God, this is worse than chewing gum. What did he do? Just hold it there until it bonded with your scalp?"

Vince rolled his shoulders, squeezing his eyes shut and keeping his head down. He didn't answer verbally, only grunted in response. Tala's fingers stilled on his scalp.

"You ok, V? You're kinda quiet." She sounded suspicious. Vince bit at his fist and looked at her out of the corner of his eye, wincing silently.

"'M fine," he mumbled quietly. His eyes rolled shut when her blunt nails scraped across his neck. It was her patented move to calm him. Those nails dragging lightly from his scalp all the way down his spine. Most of the time it put him to sleep. But this time…

Vince jerked away, his good hand coming up to grab her wrist. "Tala, stop.." He growled, not meeting her eyes. His fingers circled her wrist easily, holding it away from him.

Her voice was hurt when she spoke. "If you wanted me to leave you to it, Vince, you only had to say so." She made no move to get away from him.

"Firefly.." his fingers tightened around her wrist, "I don't want you to leave." He told her firmly, sterner than he had ever been with her. Her fingers clenched loosely in front of his face.

"Are you angry at me?" she asked in a small voice. Her breath caught in her throat audibly when he released her, his hand coming to rest on her hip, slipping beneath her shirt to sit on the skin. "Vince?"

He could hear the waver in her voice as his fingers traced the waist of her jeans, tugging at the button until it popped open. He nosed the flap of her button down shirt out of the way.

"I love you," came his quiet murmur against her stomach. His beard scratched at her skin with each movement of his jaw. Vince dragged his lips across the skin just above her navel, nuzzling and he smiled against her when he felt her hands tangle in his hair. The zipper rasped almost loudly in the quiet room, his thick fingers dragging the tiny tab lower. His tongue darted into her belly button wetly. Tala's breath caught and her grip on his hair tightened dramatically. Vince groaned at the added stimuli.

"Vince.."

His hand gripped the leg of her faded jeans, "Off." He demanded, pulling at them. Obediently she shucked them off and stepped out of them, leaving her standing in front of him wearing little more than her panties and her shirt.

"Baby, are you sure?" she asked, allowing him to drag her forward. Vince's wicked smile sent fire through her veins, his eyes dark on her. His large hand curled around the back of her thigh, pulling her closer until she was almost straddling him. One last tug forward and she was in his lap, pressed flush against him. Her thighs draped around his hips and with one swift movement, he drew Tala as close as humanly possible. She could feel him _everywhere_.

Her eyes widened ever so slightly. _Oh. My. God._

He nuzzled her throat, nipping at her ear. "If you'll have me." He whispered against her ear, his mouth latching on to the skin just behind it. His arm curled tighter around her back and at her gentle urging, he lay back on the bed.

* * *

Vince's hand ghosted over Tala's arm, nearly touching her skin but not quite. His gift to her, the pendant, was pooled in the hollow of her throat, the white gold stark against her caramel skin. He smiled faintly when she squirmed in her sleep and rolled toward him, curling herself against his side with a small, quiet sigh. Her hand slid across his stomach and came to rest over his right hip, her head tucked beneath his arm. Seeing her shiver slightly, Vince pulled the covers higher over her bare skin, tucking her in snugly against him. He pressed a kiss against the top of her head, holding her closer. 

Tala was the only person he had known in all his years who could tolerate his moods. She listened when he ranted, she accepted him with a smile when he was fall down drunk and more importantly… She loved him and took care of him. Not because she had to, because she wanted to. She didn't belong to him, as far as he was concerned, he belonged to her for as long as she'd have him. She was the only one who could merely brighten his day with a smile or a touch, calm him when he was stressed or ease his pain when he was hurting. She was his world. His everything.

Vince swallowed thickly, trying to comprehend how someone he had only known for a matter of months could become so important to him so quickly. If anyone had asked him a year ago if this is where he would be, he would have laughed in their faces and gone in search of another beer. Hell, a year ago he'd thought he would still be chasing Mia.

His thoughts darkened when he thought of her now, the only thing he could muster being a lingering sense of pity and loathing. He used to think everything about the youngest Toretto was beautiful, inside and out. Then everything had changed. Spilner, or O'Connor as he now knew him, came into the picture, sending their entire world into disarray. Mia's brush offs turned cruel instead of just dismissive, she no longer just rolled her eyes whenever he hit on her. Instead he was met with scathing remarks and spiteful comebacks. Mia had no regard for anyone's feelings but her own. Spilner's arrival brought out Mia's true colours and they were some of the ugliest ones he'd ever seen. Vince glowered into the darkness, his hold tightening slightly on Tala's slight shoulders.

Mia had lied to him. She had made a promise to him **_while he was vulnerable_** that she had no intention of keeping. She had **lied**.

_Screw her_, Vince thought, feeling Tala's legs intertwine with his. _I don't need them any more. I've got all I need right here. _

"I don't know what I'd do without you," he whispered against her hair, running his large paw like hand across her back. She sighed against his skin, a tiny smile on her face in her sleep. "I love you so much." His fingers tangled in the sparkling chain around her neck. "My firefly."

* * *

Leon flopped on the couch, tiredly eyeing the completely trashed living room. Colourful wrapping paper littered the floor, as it did every Christmas, but this year he _knew_ he would be the one cleaning it up. He looked up when he heard Letty shuffle into the room, dragging his eyes from the mess on the floor. 

"I've decided that Vince is a bastard." He stated, moving his legs for her to sit down beside him. He swung himself into an upright position and leaned his head against Letty's shoulder.

"And what evidence do you have to support these claims?" she asked lightly, picking some glitter from his hair. He and Vince had gone nuts with the party favours earlier and both of them ended up looking like living Christmas trees. Leon gestured wildly to the mess on the floor.

"He left us to clean this up and took of to spend the night at Tala's! He knew he was on clean up duty!"

"Le!" Letty scolded, "Let him have some alone time with his girl."

Leon grunted, annoyed, but left the subject alone. His ire was quickly forgotten when he noticed some of the torn paper moving, a loud ripping sound coming from somewhere in the pile of pretty garbage. There was a dull thud, then a little whine. He grinned, squeezing Letty tight.

"Did I thank you for my present?" He asked, beaming at the snow white puppy that emerged from the gift wrap, smacking her chops trying to rid herself of an errant piece of tape. The puppy, christened 'Winter' on account of her snowy white coat and her one icy blue eye, bounded over to him.

"Maybe once or twice," Letty mumbled, smiling as she recalled the stunned expression on his face that morning when presented with the wriggling, partially gift wrapped dog. Vince had insisted on wrapping her legs and belly, or rather he insisted that Tala do it on his behalf. Letty grinned as she watched him pluck the sticky tape from her mouth. "Am I losing you to a dog?" She asked with a grin.

For a minute, Leon looked to be considering it, then he shook his head. "Never happen." He stated.

Letty slouched, watching him contently. "You sound so sure."

He stopped and eased Winter onto the floor. She plodded off to play in the paper some more.

"Letty," he turned to face her. "Nothing short of killing me could make me leave you."

She felt herself start to tear up. "Really?"

"Really. Even then I'd probably haunt you though," he smiled lecherously at her, "I could watch you in the shower.." and like that the moment was broken, both laughing and Leon trying to shield himself from her attacks with a cushion.

"Letty! LETTY!" He grabbed the cushion off her. "Its not like I don't see you in the shower already." He reasoned, pulling her to him. She settled against his chest, fingers fisted in his shirt.

"It was different than I expected," she said after a while, resting her chin on his chest so she could look up at him. Leon stroked her hair out of her face.

"What was?"

She looked around the quiet room, the colourful lights on the Christmas tree flashing, casting artful shadows against the walls. "Our first Christmas alone."

Leon pulled a face. "We weren't alone though. There was you, me, Vince, Tala, little Winter here.."

She slapped at him. "I meant without the team." She said quietly. Leon fell silent, absently stroking her hair.

"Do you miss them?" He asked suddenly.

Letty sighed, pressing a kiss over his heart. "I miss Jess." She laughed sadly to herself. "I had to remind myself not to buy him somethin."

"I did." Leon admitted, his voice a little hoarse. Letty sat up, propping herself up on his chest.

Her question was quiet and a little watery. "…You did?" She noticed Leon's eyes glass up as he nodded.

"I forgot," he said, "It wasn't till I got home that I realised what I'd done and.." he trailed off, closing his eyes. As hard as he tried he couldn't stop a few tears from slipping free. His chest tightened painfully.

Letty looked at him sadly, a hand over her mouth. "Oh, Le.." No sooner had she gathered him into her arms did the flood gates finally open. All the months of grief, pain and hurt he had been repressing poured out.

Neither moved from the couch for the rest of the night.


	15. Letting Go

**A/N: OK, so it took a little longer getting this chapter done than usual, but I have had the worst case of writers block. I seriously hope this is up to standard for you guys. Oh, and for those who don't know, 'tins' refer to all the parts of a motorcycle with custom paints. Fenders, tank etc..**

**sparkly green**

* * *

Leon swore loudly, kicking over a nearby stool. He had spent the past four hours working on a tank, airbrushing layer over layer of paint, only to fuck it up. He slumped to the floor, hands fisted in his hair. If he was going to get the tank finished before tomorrow he.. _Who am I kidding? There's no way I'm going to get that finished before tomorrow.. I'd be lucky to have it done in two days now..._

"I can't do anything right." He said to himself, staring up at the ruined paint job in front of him. It was the first time he had ever been distracted to the point of destroying the entire job. He had never messed up beyond a quick touch up. ".. Jesus.." he muttered under his breath. He looked up at the clock. Eleven forty six, he noted. It was almost midnight. From behind him, he heard his boss clear his throat.

"Go home, Orello. You're doing yourself more harm than good, not to mention you've killed those tins."

Leon turned to face the burly man, a wry smile on his face. "You just want me to leave so you can." He knew he was treading on thin ice talking to him that way, but exhaustion was catching up with him and his hands were cramping up.

For a moment, the heavy set biker looked ready to knock him out, then his stern glare softened and he ran a hand over his thick greying beard. The big man clapped his hand down on Leon's shoulder. "Actually," Marcus started, "that little lady of yours scares the hell outta me. I can imagine she won't be impressed that I've 'kept' you here all night." He shuddered for effect.

Leon smirked. "Let's harmless." He studied the smeared paint. "I should stay. Fix this up."

Marcus' laughter boomed throughout the shop. "Can't say you don't apply yourself, boy." He turned serious, "Please, Leon. You're like a son to me. I don't want to see you burn yourself out." He shooed him toward the door. "Go on, go home to your lady. I'll strip this thing down for you before I leave so you can just start over tomorrow."

Leon stumbled slightly, being pushed along. "But I-"

"Go home, son." Marcus ordered quietly, his Texan accent thickening slightly. "I'll see you at eleven."

"_Eleven_?" Leon stilled, "But I start at seven thirty."

The big man's arms crossed over his chest and he towered over Leon. "I said, **I'll see you at eleven**." He pushed Leon's keys into his hand and shoved him out the door in the direction of his car. "G'night boy." The door slammed shut, automatically locking itself.

Stunned, Leon started toward his car, shaking his head. "He threw me out." He muttered to himself, hitting the button to disarm the car alarm.

"LEON!"

The sound of his boss' booming voice made him look over his shoulder, skidding to a stop in the gravel.

"Forget somethin, kid?"

Leon squinted at the object in Marcus' hands. "What the -? Oh, shit!" He jogged back over to the brightly lit up doorway and sheepishly scooped Winter out of those huge hands. "Sorry baby." He cooed, cuddling her. He noticed Marcus shaking his head at him and subtly flipped him off.

The big man laughed and started back inside. "See ya tomorrow."

"Yeah, thanks." He watched the door close and looked down at his dog. She was a lot bigger now than she was when he got her two weeks ago, her legs already much longer and three times as clumsy as she was initially. Her normally pristine white fur was splattered with pagan gold paint from a job he finished off earlier. One big blue eye and one big dark brown stared up at him. "Come on, puddin. Let's get you home and cleaned up."

The drive home was quiet, the only sounds in the car being the occasional clink of the keys and the quiet music of Crossfade playing from the back speakers. He wasn't in the mood for anything loud. The closer he got to home, the faster his mind started moving. He knew straight away that he was probably going to spend more time _trying_ to sleep than actually sleeping tonight. Letty would kick him out of the room for tossing and turning and he would spend the night vegetating on the couch with Winter at his side, snoring or dreaming loudly. She had a habit of falling off the couch in such instances.

The traffic light ahead turned red and he rolled to a stop, rubbing his eyes. The sick feeling he felt every time he returned to the fort was starting to settle in his gut. It didn't feel like home any more. In his minds eye he could still see the dark bloodstain on the path, now washed away, and felt himself flinch. Vince had seen it the day he returned home from his hospital stay and almost instantly, despite feeling like crap, had tipped almost a full bottle of cleaning agent over it. In his words, clinging to Jesse like that was denying him the right to rest peacefully, and in a way now, Leon agreed with him. It had been selfish to try to hold on like he had and it had taken Vince to make him see what he was doing.

He was clinging to a memory. It was time to move on.

Vince was practically living with Tala now. Four out of five of his guitars now called the space beneath Tala's bed home, the amps all hidden away in the spare room. He still spent a lot of time at home while she was working though. He still hated being alone. He had even come to work with both himself _and_ Letty a time or two just to cure the boredom.

Leon grit his teeth, pulling into their street. The nearer he got to the house the sicker he felt. The only thing that made him want to go there was Letty. The place held too many memories, good _and_ bad.

He pulled up into the drive and did a double take when he noticed Letty and Tala sitting on the front steps, huddled together under a blanket sipping their coronas. He stepped out of the car and paused, looking over the top of the car at them.

"Ladies.." he greeted, eyeing them. Tala did a little finger wave and Letty erupted into a fit of laughter, leaning heavily against the smaller woman. He caught sight of Tala's wicked grin moments before she leaned forward and Letty slid to the porch behind her with a loud thump. _Oh sweet Jesus_, he laughed silently, making his way across the lawn.

"Letty is drunk." She stated matter of factly, nodding at him. She squealed as Winter pounded up the steps toward them, both girls falling into a heap with the puppy.

From the bottom of the steps, Leon could make out Vince's shadowy form just inside the front door. He held a hand over his eyes, shielding them from the porch light. "You drunk too?"

"Nah, man. Somebody had to keep an eye on the girls." He pushed open the door and stepped outside. He was wearing his old black flannel pyjama pants and a tank, feet bare.

Leon nodded, stepping around his girlfriend and Tala. "I guess this means you're staying here tonight then."

Vince chuckled, following him inside after reminding the girls not to let Winter run off. "Yeah. She's in no state to drive. Hasn't been since seven."

Throwing his keys down, Leon dropped himself into an armchair, his hand resting over his eyes.

"Rough day?"

"I fucked a set of tins." He dropped his hand and noticed Vince's concerned facial expression. "Then Marcus pretty much told me to fuck off home. I almost forgot Wint- Aw hell."

"What?"

Leon got up and opened the front door. The girls fell quiet and stared up at him, guilty. He looked down at them, ushering Winter inside so he could wash her.

"What are you two talkin 'bout out here?" He asked suspiciously, eyebrow cocked. They smothered their drunken giggles.

Letty smiled up at him. "Nothing baby." Beside her, Tala was studying him critically, making him uneasy.

"I can see it you know." She said to Letty, making them both dissolve into laughter once more.

Leon looked back at Vince self consciously, making a gesture towards them. "What's the deal? What are they talking about?"

Vince laughed, leaning backward over the arm of the couch to look. "They were doing that every time they looked at me before as well. My guess is they're talking about sex." He shrugged and waved it off. "The amount they've had, they wont remember it in the morning anyway. Just leave them to it."

Leon looked down at them for a minute, then pulled the blankets back up over them as he shook his head. "You girls are nuts." Well, that started them again and he was unable to keep a straight face. It was the first time he had seen Letty this drunk in years and the first time he had _ever_ seen Tala drunk.

Back inside now, he pointed a thumb in their direction. "You get a picture of them?"

Vince nodded smugly. "Of course I did! Now.." he looked at Winter. "Why is your dog gold?"

Leon gave him a 'duh' look. "Because I spilt paint on her." He said slowly, as if explaining to a kid. "Come and sit with me while I wash her. I wanna talk to you about something."

* * *

Vince watched from the bench, observing as Leon ended up covered in more suds than Winter. 

"So.. You want to move out?"

Leon grunted, slipping into the shallow water lining the bathtub. He glanced up at Vince through damp hair. "Yes." He went to climb out of the water but slipped and decided to stay where he was, his legs hanging over the side of the tub, cheek pressed against the wall.

Vince scratched his stubbly chin, beyond being amused by seeing Leon ass up in the air, slumped in the bath. "Do you remember where I was living back when you came to live with me? That old converted firehouse?"

"Sure," Leon rolled so he was more comfortable. "That place kicked ass. Way roomier than here." He smiled, remembering all the good times spent there. The place had been huge. The entire first story had almost a studio apartment feel to it and the upstairs was vaguely similar. Given all the room though, there was only two big assed bedrooms and an attic apartment. Plus the basement which at the time had been Vince's music room, easily convertible into another bedroom.

"What about it?"

"I own that place, Le." Vince told him quietly. "Mama left it to me in her will. I was renting from her beforehand." He fidgeted, worrying the hem of his shirt in his fingers. "You could live there."

Leon stared at Vince, trying to process the information he'd just been given. "You still own the firehouse.. And you forgot to mention it?" He ground out, climbing from the tub. Winter yapped at him, grabbing the seat of his pants and giving them a tug. He lost his footing and slipped back in, barely able to avoid falling on her.

"Shit! Winter!"

Vince pointed. "See, this is why I didn't tell you! I knew you'd get shitty at me."

Leon groaned, holding his tail bone as he started climbing out of the deep tub again. "I'm not shitty at you, V."

"…You're not?"

He rolled his eyes. "No. Look," he plucked Winter out of the warm water and wrapped a towel around her. "I want outta here. Bad. We'll run it by Let tomorrow." Both of them heard a crash in the living room, followed by feminine laughter and shared a look. They both had the same thought and voiced it in unison.

"When she's sober."


	16. Hangovers and Bubble Bath

**A/N:chews thumbnail: I'm actually really nervous about this chapter.. Seriously. If it turns out to be a train wreck, let me know, will ya? Thankyou to all who reviewed my last chappy.  
Song for the chapter "Somewhere Only We Know" - Keane**

* * *

Letty grabbed the side of her head with one hand and the bed with the other, taking slow, deep breaths. The room was spinning and rocking like she were on a ship. Oddly enough, it wasn't half as bad with her eyes open. She started to sit up and the world tilted, sending her sprawling back onto the mass of fluffy blankets and pillows. Leon's scent surrounded her, bringing back vague memories of the night before. She had the strangest recollection of dancing on the coffee table with Tala to the music only they could hear. She grinned at the memory, struggling not to laugh. It seemed that their innocent, sweet little Tala was a trained belly dancer. As soon as she had let slip with that little detail, Letty had insisted on her teaching her something. They had been mid way though a turn when one of them, she couldn't quite remember which, overstepped and crashed into the other, sending them tumbling to the floor. They had still been in a tangled heap on the floor when Leon and Vince came back into the room and found them there. That had been the final straw and to her amazement, Vince had slung Tala over his shoulder with ease and claimed they were off to bed. 

Letty rolled over slowly to look at the alarm clock, it's bright red numbers glowing '8:46'. She grimaced at the almost liquid feeling her legs had as she stood up, or tried to stand up that is. She raked her fingers through her hair and pulled a face at the thick, furry feeling her tongue had. A quiet chuckle came from the doorway. Letty froze. _I know that laugh.. Why isn't he at work?_

She voiced her question. "..work?" her voice was croaky and her mouth tasted like crap.

Leon smirked. "Well, if you had have been sober when I got home last night.." he trailed off when she blushed. "I start at eleven and I called in sick for you. You hungry?" He asked, his tone more concerned now, though it still held a hint of amusement. He moved closer to help her up.

Letty clutched his forearms as she stood, nauseated. "Not really." She sagged into his arms and let him carry her into their adjoining bathroom, where he sat her on the sink. He moved to turn on the shower, then came back and carefully stripped her off.

"You'll feel better afterwards." He promised, catching her confused look. "I'll come and let you know when the foods almost done."

She beamed at him to the best of her ability. "You're cooking for me?" she asked in a small voice. Leon nodded as he set her down in the shower.

"Yes ma'am, I am."

She grinned, still a little drunk. "You're so good to me." She reached for his arm, still holding her, and lifted his wrist to her mouth. "My prince in a yellow Skyline."

He laughed, kissing her brow. "Honey, the Skyline's been green for a few months now." He reminded her, pushing her back under the spray of water. "But I appreciate the thought."

She waved him off, turning the heat up. "That's what I said. Green. Now go, peon. Cook for me!"

Leon's eyes widened as he cackled at her. "_Peon_?" He waited for her to slip to the floor, no way of escaping the water before he turned off the hot water completely. She screamed as the freezing water beat down on her. "Peon that, sweetness." Then, he left the room, laughing as she scrambled to her feet.

Letty glared after him. "At least I'm sober now," she muttered, shivering. Her stomach churned against the sudden movement and she took a few deep breaths. Unfortunately with all the steam from the hot water, it didn't really help much. She slid back down onto the floor and closed her eyes.

She had meant what she had said to him. Leon **was** her prince charming. Sure he had his moments where you were left wondering what the hell was going on in that complicated head of his, but who didn't. Though recently, he was having them a lot more. He was becoming a lot more broody and reclusive, spending hours on his painting or out in the garage alone, avoiding the house. He always had a smile for her though, no matter how small it may be.

She reached for the tube of shower gel and the loofah he had considerately placed on the floor, knowing she would loathe getting up to get it. She smiled softly, flipping the cap open. He did take care of her, so, so well. She wondered why he was never able to hold onto a girlfriend in all the time she had known him. Even though the mere thought of another woman putting their hands on **her** Leon made her jaw clench, she couldn't help but wonder. Every girl he had dated had left him, claiming him to be insensitive, rude, arrogant and distant. She couldn't see it. He was the most hands on, loving boyfriend she had ever had.

The door creaked open next to her sending a cool gush of wind into the shower cubicle. Leon looked down at her, huddled against the wall with a plaintive look on her face. He crouched down, eyes narrowed.

"You alright, sweets?" He touched her knee lightly.

She blinked, actually seeing him there for the first time. "What? Oh.. Yeah. Yeah I'm alright." She smiled at him.

Pacified, he stood up. "Food's up in about five. Finish up here, ok?" he told her gently.

As he left through the door, she could smell the first traces of food. Her belly growled in appreciation of the scents. She hopped up and quickly cleaned herself, then turned the shower off, wrapped herself in a towel and shuffled into the bedroom. She had just picked up a bra when she heard Leon thundering down the stairs.

"Letty! Food's on the- Oh." He stopped in the bedroom doorway, mouth open. Obviously he thought she was still in the shower. "Uh, food's on."

She pulled one of his jerseys over her head and nodded. "Be right there." She told him, stepping into a pair of his sweats. His eyes raked over her appreciatively, sparkling.

"You look hot in my clothes."

Letty walked toward him, looping her arms around his waist. "And I smell good too." She laughed as he sniffed her loudly.

"You smell like me." He dead panned.

"Exactly," she looked down at their intertwined fingers as he lead her up the stairs. "That's why I smell sexy." Her nostrils flared as they entered the kitchen and her mouth watered. On the table sat one of the biggest, greasiest breakfasts she had seen since Vince's twenty first birthdays 'morning after the party' party. Bacon, eggs, sausages, hash browns and French toast sat in the centre of the table, only two empty plates in sight. It looked and smelled like heaven.

"Vince and Tala went home about an hour ago." He explained, sitting down. Letty grabbed some of the French toast straight away.

"Was I in the shower long enough for you to make all this?"

He paused, fork half way to his mouth. "Well.. V helped a little earlier getting stuff ready."

She sat down, stunned. ".. V can cook?"

"Only the easy stuff." He stood up and walked to the fridge. "Coffee or Coke?"

"..izzy ..uff." She managed around her mouth full of food. She beamed at him when he placed a two litre bottle of the soft drink in front of her. Only him and Vince could understand her when she talked with her mouth full.

He sat back down and suddenly looked uneasy. "Let.. We have to talk about this." He waved his hand around, gesturing to the room.

She sipped her Coke. "The kitchen?"

"No," he answered shortly. "Living here." He noticed the understanding dawn on her. "I was talking to Vince last night, and it turns out he owns the building he was living in before he moved in here."

Her brow creased in confusion. "Vince owns the firehouse?" she asked dumbly. Leon nodded.

He sighed heavily. "I.. I can't live here any more, Let. I mean, I'll stay if that's what you want.. If that will make you happy, but I'd rather move out."

"Into the firehouse.." she stated slowly, chewing on some bacon. Her heart went out to him. The poor guy looked so afraid of how she would react. It made sense though. Despite this, she had her reservations about moving. "I dunno, Le.."

Outwardly he showed no sign of irritation or disappointment, but she tell it was there lurking beneath the surface. Sensing this, she gave him a thoughtful look.

"You really hate this place so much?"

He nodded slowly. "I feel sick when I'm here." He admitted almost inaudibly. He picked at his breakfast, not meeting her eyes. "I don't want to lose you."

Letty dropped her piece of bacon in shock. "_Lose me_! Babe what are you talking about?"

"If Dom comes back.." he mumbled feebly.

She got up and moved to his side of the table, sitting in his lap. "You don't trust me? Leon, I would never leave you just because he came back! That would just be blatant stupidity on my part!"

His callused hand smoothed over her damp hair. "It's not you I'm worried about. He'll try to take you away from me again. Everything has to be about him, Let."

"Again? Leon.. What are you talking-" she paused. "Just how long have you had feelings for me?"

He laughed humourlessly against her shoulder. "A fucking long time." He squeezed her tightly. "I'm not letting him take you away from me again, Let. I wont let him."

She cradled his head to her chest, her cheek resting on his hair. "Alright, baby. If it means this much to you, we'll move."

He looked up at her, trying to gauge her response. "You're not just humouring me?"

She smiled, kissing him lightly. "Of course not." She grinned as he buried his face in her shirt, one hand coming to rest on her butt, the other curled around her back. He said something against her but it was too muffled to hear, so she prodded him and asked him to repeat it. Slowly, he leaned back and fixed her with the most possessive look she had ever seen him give anyone.

"**Mine**."

* * *

Vince sneezed sending bubbles flying all over the place. From the other end of her bathtub, Tala erupted into a fit of laughter, her feet propped up on Vince's wide chest. His hands circled her ankles and pulled, dunking her in the water. When she surfaced, her hair was plastered all over her face and Vince was looking at her with big innocent eyes. She glared at him. 

His hand skimmed over the surface of the water, pushing the lightly scented bubbles around. "Shouldn't have laughed at me." He stated simply, flicking water at her.

Tala gaped at him indignantly. "Who was the one who was laughing at _me_ this morning? I didn't try to drown _you_!"

Vince threw his head back and laughed. "Ah, but you were hung over. I had a right to laugh at you." He pointed out, smiling at her smugly.

Tala scowled at him, then gave him a taste of his own medicine. He was almost back up to two hundred pounds again and normally she wouldn't have been able to budge him, but being in the water made him a lot lighter and he slipped beneath the surface with one swift tug. He came up spluttering.

"Bitch!" he spat in between his laughter, wiping water out of his eyes and slicking his hair back. Tala giggled, waiting until he was settled again to crawl up between his legs and lean back against his chest. Her fingers slid along his slick thighs, his knees steepled either side of her.

"V, last night," she started, looking back and up at him, "I was drunk."

He nodded solemnly. "Very drunk."

Fighting her blush, Tala went on. "As I said, I was drunk, but I remember seeing Leon's face. I'm worried about him." She cupped some water in her hands and tipped it over Vince's thigh. She could feel the tension enter his body at her words.

"So am I," he admitted, sighing. "He wants to move back into our old place. It's not exactly a good idea to live in the house of a person you're avoiding contact with. If they come back, we're fucked."

The room was quiet, save for the quiet swoosh of the water whenever either of them moved and the occasional drip of the tap.

"How do you know the place is still available?" she asked, leaning forward to add more hot water. She smiled at the feel of Vince's hand tracing down her spine, almost desperate to move back into his embrace.

"…I own it." He answered after a moment. Tala stilled, not sure what to think.

"Does this mean you're moving with them?"

Vince's arm coiled around her and dragged her backward into his lap, her back pressed securely to his slick chest. She could feel him mouthing the back of her neck. It took all her self control to remain still instead of turning around to maul him. Her head lolled back against his shoulder as his hand slipped between her thighs.

"Do you _want_ me to move in with them?" came his raspy question beside her ear, his breath hot on her damp skin. She made a quiet sound, something likening to a strangled whimper. Her hands came up to grip the sides of the tub tightly, her back arched and her mouth fell open in a silent cry.

"Firefly," he growled in her ear, teeth scraping over her flesh, "I asked you a question." His hand withdrew and came to rest on her thigh.

She whined at the loss, rolling her hips against him. She heard him hiss quietly. "No.." she breathed, almost crying as his hand slipped back between her legs, teasing her once more.

"You want me to stay here and live with you?" He asked after a moment, his breathing a little heavier in her ear. She nodded emphatically, writhing against him. He chuckled and started to move his hand away again. Immediately Tala knew what he was doing. He was convinced she was too quiet in bed, claiming he wasn't sure whether she liked what he was doing to her unless he could hear her. She grabbed at his wrist, preventing him from moving his hand.

She rushed to reply. "Yes, I want you to live with me." His movements were getting a little rougher now and she could feel him actually holding himself back, his entire body tense. She had a feeling that he could do her some serious damage if he actually let go and to be honest, the thought made her want it to happen even more. Need swept through her like wild fire.

He nipped at her neck, hard, then soothed the angry welt with his tongue. He smiled wolfishly against her neck as she cried out. "That's it," he growled in her ear. "One more question, firefly.."

Tala squeezed her eyes shut, nodding against his shoulder. "Anything, baby." Her lip caught between her teeth.

For a moment, she wasn't sure he had heard her, he was so quiet. She started to grab at his hand as he pulled it away, but stopped when he bit her shoulder. His thick arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her over him, holding her just that slightest amount too far away, his breathing laboured. His breath was almost scalding against her hot skin.

"…Marry me."


	17. Starlit Skies

**A/N: I hereby humbly apologise for the ending of last chapter. I was hissed at! Hissed at! I was so touched.. So here you go. It kinda feels like a filler to me, but eh, what do I know? I could be wrong.**

**Song for the chappy "Dare You To Move" by Switchfoot. Just because.**

* * *

Tala woke up to find Vince playing with her fingers. He was always awake before her and nine times out of ten she opened her eyes to find him watching her or touching her in some way. There were scant amount of times she could recall actually waking and finding him still asleep. She sighed, fighting her smile. After the night before he should still be sleeping. _Hell, he should be unconscious for the next three days after last night. _She moved her legs, eyes closing against the ache she felt between them. She felt Vince stop playing with her fingers and opened her eyes again, startled when she found his face inches from hers. 

"I'm sorry if I hurt you." He flushed slightly, eyes averted elsewhere. "I wont do it again."

"Why not? Did you hear me complaining?" She asked, rolling onto her back.

His eyes followed the sheet as it slipped lower, exposing her to him. "..No." he murmured, easing the white fabric back over her. Tala bought her hand up to run through his hair.

"Vince-" she froze mid sentence, eyes wide. She now knew the reason he was playing with her fingers. "Oh.. My.. God." Her usually bare ring finger was adorned with one of the most simple, but beautiful rings she had ever seen. The band was polished to the point it could be used as a mirror and three gems sat in the centre. Two princess cut diamonds on either side of an impressive bluish coloured emerald cut stone, all claw set. It was pretty, big, but pretty without being gaudy. She looked at Vince with watery eyes.

He sat up slightly, slouching. "It was my grandmothers." He told her, touching the ring with a nostalgic look in his eyes. "Leon got Mama's ring and I got Gram's. They're heirlooms." He looked up, meeting her gaze. "Dad actually had to ask Grandpa for the ring so he could propose to Mama. They've been passed down for generations now. You.. You still want to marry me right?"

"No, Vince. I only said yes so you would have sex with me." She replied sarcastically. She held her hand up to look at the ring closer. "It's gorgeous." She said quietly, in awe. She was touched that he would give her something that held such meaning for him. "Is that white gold?"

He lay down beside her, taking her hand in his. "Platinum." He touched the blue stone lightly, "And that's a blue diamond." He laughed at her wide eyes.

"Vince! Big guy I can't take this from you.." she argued weakly, almost having a heart attack at the knowledge he just enlightened her to. The ring had to be worth a fortune. He gave her a stern look.

"Tala, It's mine to give. You've taken care of me when others would have just left me to rot." The last was said with a hint of anger, distaste even. "You're my sun, my moon.."

Tala giggled. "If you say 'my starlit sky' I will slap you!"

Vince gave her an innocent look. "Wouldn't dream of it." He grinned. "So, you gunna take my name?"

She quirked a brow. "Are you going to take mine?" She asked, fully expecting him to laugh at her. He gave her a thoughtful look.

"If you want me to."

She turned into his side, draping her leg over his thigh. "You would seriously take my name if I asked you to? You would become Vincent Noah Mackenzie?" She couldn't keep the shock from bleeding into her voice. Vince shrugged.

"Well it doesn't sound stupid." He replied casually, playing with her hair. She carefully worked her way beneath his bad arm, watching his face for any hint of discomfort. She knew he felt it, but his expression betrayed nothing. The fact that he was able to keep his face so impossibly blank when she knew he had to be in a great deal of pain disturbed her and saddened her at the same time. It made her wonder just what he had been subjected to over the years. He had hinted at a tough upbringing, but refused to divulge any of his more painful memories until he was good and ready.

Tala looked at her hand, the ring's polished band and diamonds winking up at her. "Am I going to have to get my hand insured?"

Vince laughed, the sound vibrating against her ear and warming her to her toes. "Already done, firefly."

"Jesus, Vince! I was kidding!"

He grinned. "I'm not."

* * *

Leon glared at Vince. "Three days, Vincent!" He snapped, pushing another box into the trunk of his car. Vince cringed, wincing. 

"I know man, but I was kinda busy. I'm sorry."

Leon felt the anger melt away and rolled his eyes. "We just weren't sure when you were coming home is all." He reached for another box and proceeded to squeeze it in the small space left. He slammed the trunk closed and opened the back door. Immediately, Winter scrambled inside and climbed into the front seat then plopped herself down in the front floor, expecting to go for a drive. Leon grinned and shook his head at her. "Sorry, puddin. No drive yet." He was amazed that she liked the car as much as she did. She seemingly understood him and slunk out of the car to go and curl up on the grass. Vince gaped.

"She understood you."

Beaming with pride, Leon nodded. "I know! She's a smart girl, aren't ya, pud?" He frowned when she ignored him, and waved a dismissive hand at her. He turned back to Vince. "Did you go to your session yesterday? You know how important they-"

"Yes, Le. I went, it hurt, I went home." He grumbled, stubbing his toe against the tyre.

A pale brown eyebrow lifted in question. "Home? So you're movin' in with shorty then? And don't kick my car!"

Vince pointed. "Yourair is low in the back tyre! And yes, I am. I figured you guys would want some privacy and all that shit. Plus with us being engaged now and all.."

The tool box Leon had in his hand crashed to the concrete driveway, the corner of it catching his bare foot. He shouted profanely and hopped around for a moment, then looked up at Vince with wide eyes, still holding his bloody toe.

"You _what_? You're seriously getting married?" He let go of his foot, wincing at the throbbing he could feel. "..Seriously?" He asked quietly, his voice hushed as he stared at his big brother.

Vince nodded slowly. "Gave her Gram's ring the other day."

"I don't believe you."

Trying not to laugh, Vince put his hand on Leon's shoulder. "She thought I was kidding when I told her the ring was already insured."

Leon searched his face for any hint of jest, "..You're not kidding." He whispered in awe. Vince shook his head, letting his hand fall away from his shoulder. This time, more firmly; "You're not kidding."

"No I am not."

The pair stood in silence for a brief moment before Leon let out a loud hoot and grabbed Vince's cheeks, pressing an exuberant kiss full on his mouth. Vince pulled away from him, laughing.

"Shit, Le! Watch the tongue!" He roared with laughter and a little shock as he felt Leon's arms circle his waist and lift, spinning him around in a circle.

At the head of the drive, Tala cleared her throat. "Do I have competition now?"

Beside her, Letty laughed at the scene. "Girl, you take that boy to the races and **then** you will see competition. Those skanks hang all over fine lookin men like ours." She looked at Leon and Vince, the latter still off the ground. "Even if they **are** insane. Leon! _Why _are you kissing Vince?"

He dropped Vince to his feet, already talking as he turned to face her. "Because he-" He stopped seeing Tala there and grinned. Before she could move she found herself subject to the spinning around and kissing. Only it was her cheeks instead of her mouth. When he was satisfied, he turned back to Vince.

"Can I tell her?" He called, almost bouncing.

"Ask Firefly!" Vince replied, leaning down to gather a couple of the tools that had fallen out of the tool box when Leon had dropped it. Leon turned to Tala, subtly tapping her hand where it was shielded from Letty's view. It was remarkable that she hadn't noticed the ring before now, knowing what most women were like when it came to such things.

"Can I tell her?" He pleaded, eyes shining like a kid on Christmas.

Letty watched the scene, confused. "Tell me what? What the hell is going on, Le?"

Tala pinched the bridge of her nose and shot Vince a look that said 'fine, you were right'. When he had told her Leon would take the news one of two ways; either he would go completely nuts, like he was now, or he would just smile and nod if he didn't approve, she wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. She was relieved that he was reacting the first way. Unbeknownst to her, it was her left hand she lifted and both Leon and Letty caught the sparkle of the heirloom on her finger.

"**Holy shit**!"

Leon smiled at Letty's reaction and reached down to hug Tala. "Congrats, sister dear. It looks good on you." He flinched when he felt a knuckle dig into his spine and turned to face Letty. "What?"

She glowered at him. "MOVE! I wanna see!"

He shook his head and backed away, almost being barrelled over by Letty in her haste. He walked back down to Vince, smirking. The smirk vanished when he noticed that Vince had decided to help pack the car.

"Drop that, now." He demanded, startling the big man. Vince flinched and did as he was told. "What do you think you're doing?"

"The doctor said that if it didn't hurt, I could lift some.."

Leon glared at him, noticing the way his fingers clenched tightly then loosened every few seconds. That was what he did when he was hurting but unwilling to admit it. "Uh huh. I'm guessing that lifting translates to 'light lifting' meaning a tissue box or something.. Right?" When Vince didn't answer, he knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "What the hell, Vince.. It's been almost six months. There's no way your arm is ready for that kind of stress." He kept his voice quiet, as not to alert the girls. "You're gunna screw up whatever progress you've made."

"My elbow's fine!"

"Are you lying to me?" Leon quirked a brow, his eyes hardening. "_Vincent_!"

Vince flinched, more visibly now at the harsh way his name came out. "It is! My elbow is fine!"

Leon leant against the front fender of his car, arms folded. He looked at Vince out the corner of his eye. There was something he wasn't being told. "You only said your elbow, Vince." He had noticed that Vince was wearing the fixed brace on his arm less frequently these days, instead wearing a light sling every now and then. "What about the rest of your arm?"

Vince nodded. "The tendons are screwed, my muscles are fucked… Elbow joint is fine." He swallowed thickly, his back to Letty and Tala. "I wouldn't care so much if I was alone."

"It must suck not being able to hold her properly." He gestured ever so slightly in Tala's direction.

Vince smiled wryly. "You've got no idea." He frowned at the twitching digits. "I should have said no."

"No?"

"Yeah. When Dom came to me about the trucks.. I should have told him to go fuck himself." He looked thoughtful, "Then again," smiling, "I wouldn't have met Firefly."

"That's right." Leon looked up at the house. "You know what? That box you were about to put in the car?"

Vince creased his brow, waiting.

"That was the last one. Everything else in that house belongs to Dom and Mia."

Vince sat on the hood next to him. "That's everything, huh? Even my stuff?"

Leon nodded. "Hector came over yesterday and we moved all the furniture to the firehouse. Stayed there last night actually." He scratched his eyebrow. "Your old room is all set up. Looks like you wont be needing it now, though."

"What did you do with Jesse's stuff?" both men turned to look at Letty and Tala when they heard giggling, suspicions roused when they fell silent almost immediately.

"I'm starting to get paranoid." Vince muttered, eyeing them. Beside him, Leon nodded even though he knew Vince wouldn't see him.

"Yeah.. Me too." As he watched the girls walk toward them, he started to grin. "Hey V?"

"Hmm?"

"She gotten any sleep the past few days or have you two been too busy to- OW!" He toppled forward and off the hood of the car, laughing all the way. He looked back up at Vince, still laughing.

Vince glowered down at him. "Shut. Up."


	18. Meeting The Family

**A/N: So we're jumping ahead a little.. No Le and Let this chapter. Maybe next time. As usual, thankyou to all who read or reviewed. You guys make me want to write more.**

**Song for the chappy : "Somewhere In Between" by lifehouse. Pretty song.**

* * *

Tala stood silently in the doorway, the only light in the room coming from the open fridge door, exposing Vince. She watched with a proud smile as he carefully opened jars and packages, making himself a sandwich. Not a month ago he would have woken her up to help him, claiming he was unable to open things on his own. All it had taken was a little tough love in the form of her refusing to cook him dinner one night a couple of weeks earlier, leaving him to either starve, or figure something out himself. She had sat at the table and watched him struggle, desperately wanting to rush to his aid, but in the end she had stayed put. Sure, he had made a mess and he got more sauce on the counter than the bread, but he was adapting. He was adapting well. 

"Hungry, firefly?"

Tala jumped. He hadn't even looked up to know she was there, lurking in the shadows. She cleared her throat, missing his pleased smirk. "Uh, no.. I was just wondering where you'd gotten to."

He looked up now, pressing the resealable cheese pack closed. "I was hungry."

"You're always hungry." She teased lightly, walking toward him.

Vince gasped, his hand paused mid way to his mouth. "Are you calling me fat?" he asked incredulously, throwing the sandwich down on the plate.

Tala laughed, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Yes I am." She wasn't complaining though. It felt nice to have more of him to hold on to. Vince rubbed her back and dropped a kiss on top of her head.

"Just checking." He reached for his sandwich and nodded his head toward the balcony. "Come sit?"

She looked out onto the balcony, out into the stormy night, then back at Vince. "I'm marrying a lunatic." She stated to no-one in particular, shaking her head.

Vince chuckled, handing her his plate so he could open the sliding door. The sound of the rain was loud, almost deafening but it smelled wonderful. He looked outside for a moment, then back at her. His eyes were wide and pleading.

"Please?"

Tala's eyes narrowed on his feet, toes flexing against the floor. It was a nervous habit of his. "What's gotten you all tied up in knots?" she asked gently, following him out onto the balcony. Despite the rain the small sheltered area was quite warm. She sat beside him, kicking her feet up on one of the spare chairs.

Vince took a bite of his sandwich, chewing slowly. "Will your mother like me?" He asked finally, after swallowing. Tala cringed, not looking forward to introducing Vince to her beast of a mother later that day. The older woman had decided that things between Tala and 'that young man' had gone on long enough without her meeting him and had demanded that Tala introduce her husband to be to the family before she threw her life away on a potential failure. She had tried telling her mother that Vince didn't handle crowds well but she would have none of it. She was dreading subjecting Vince to that.

"Uh.. That's difficult to say," she bit her lip, "She doesn't take well to certain kinds of people."

Vince blinked, looking down at himself. "..Oh."

She sat up, putting a comforting hand on his arm. "No, no! Vince… She's a horrible woman. She's superficial, bitchy and can be downright cruel. You could be royalty and she would still look down her nose at you."

He frowned, scratching his cheek. "Maybe I shouldn't go then... I mean, I don't want to cause problems with your mother."

Tala rolled her eyes, pushing his sandwich into his mouth to quiet him. "Vince, there's **always** problems with my mother. She's that one in the family that you see on your front step and pretend you're not home or just on your way out."

He looked even more concerned now than before. "You're not helping, honey. Really. You're not."

Realising she was more likely to scare him out of going, she nodded. "Right. Sorry."

"What do I call her?" He asked, picking at the crust of his sandwich. Tala slouched further into the seat and scoffed.

"I dunno.. _Satan_? _Medusa_? Take your pick."

Vince rolled his eyes, flicking a piece of bread at her. "Alright, but what do I call her to her face?" He gave her an innocent grin as the piece of rolled up bread he'd just flicked at her fell down the front of her shirt between her breasts. She growled at him, annoyed and fished it out, standing to shake the crumbs off.

"I honestly don't know, V. Ma'am?" She shrugged. "You never know with her."

* * *

Vince looked over his general appearance quickly before the door was answered. Simple white buttoned shirt with a silver embroidered dragon on the breast, long sleeved of course, and his most decent pair of jeans. He'd gotten his hair trimmed and had even tidied his beard for the occasion. _I'm as decent as I'm going to get_ he thought drolly. His palms were sweating and his stomach was tied in knots. He could hear the hum of voices inside, many voices by the sounds of it. Beside him Tala was adjusting the strap of her top, but she managed to give him an encouraging smile. 

"They're going to love you, big guy." She cooed, pulling him down to give his a reassuring kiss. Vince leaned his forehead against hers, squeezing her hand. "Just avoid getting caught alone with my mother."

"You could have told me there would be this many people here." He eyed the line of cars filling the drive and the street, then shuffled his feet nervously. "Is she really that bad?"

Tala smoothed his collar and brushed her thumbs over his cheeks, thankful for the extra height her heels gave her. "She's a shallow monster." At Vince's startled look, "But I don't plan on leaving you alone with her. I will warn you though," her eyes darkened, "-my cousins are grabby little snots."

"… Grabby?"

She sneered. "As in they will goose you." She spat, her distaste for them obvious. "If they touch your butt, which is **mine**, I will not be held responsible for my actions." Her face turned from dark to bright and cheery as the front door swung open, the hum Vince heard before now turning into a loud cacophony of voices. He immediately closed his eyes and cringed, trying to block out the roar of sounds. The only thing stopping him from doing the bolt was Tala's soft handed grip around his hand, gently reassuring him. He could feel her hand rubbing soothing circles on his lower back. This was the first time he had willingly been to a _large_ social gathering in almost nine months. Large meaning over ten other people.

He blinked a few times and looked up. He was met by the sympathetic face of a man, maybe an inch or two taller than himself, with dark hair that was greying at the temples. The sound had quieted and he noticed that the man had closed the front door after stepping out.

"It's always hard the first time, son." He said in a quiet, mellow voice. Vince smiled uneasily, squeezing Tala's hand in his. She kissed his scarred knuckles, then turned to the man.

"Daddy this is Vince, Vince this is my father, Walter." She let go of Vince's hand so he could shake Walter's.

Vince nodded. "Hello, sir."

The stocky man let out a deep belly laugh. "Call me Walt, Vince. It's nice to finally meet you."

Vince nodded, unsure of normal meeting the parents protocol. "You too."

Walter looked from Vince to Tala, then stepped back a little, reaching for the door. "How about you two come in when you're ready?" His eyes narrowed conspiringly. "Your mother is in fine form today, Tal. Maybe you should come in the back door.. make a quiet entrance." He then turned to Vince. "Remember, son. Women are like sharks. They can smell blood… Don't let her know you're afraid of her."

He started to laugh. "I haven't even met her yet."

Walt's eyes narrowed again. "Trust me, Vince. I married the crazy bitch and she scares _the hell_ outta _me_!"

Tala gasped and Vince erupted into a fit of laughter.

"Daddy!"

He shrugged sheepishly. "It's true!" He looked over his shoulder, making sure the door was still closed. "Now go! Go in the back door. That way the boy can get in a few drinks before he meets the devil!"

"Daddy, stop trying to scare him!" Tala scolded, swatting her father. Meanwhile, Vince had sat down and was quietly killing himself with laughter. From what he was expecting from his first meeting with his future father in law, this was the furthest from it.

"Firefly.. Maybe we should just go in the back door." He suggested, wiping the tears from his eyes. She looked at him, then back at her father.

"Fine! You distract her… we'll go in the back way."

Walt hugged her impulsively. "That's my girl!" He turned to Vince, "Remember! Show no weakness!" With that he disappeared back inside, the sound dying down as soon as he shut the door. Vince grinned, standing and taking Tala's hand.

"I like your dad."

She rolled her eyes. "Everyone likes my dad." Vince started to laugh again when he heard her mutter 'crazy bastard' under her breath. He only stopped when she thumped him in the stomach with her purse.

"Stealth, Vincent!"

He cleared his throat, following her quietly. "Right.. Stealth." He nodded firmly to himself, unable to stop the grin from creeping onto his face. Tala shook her head, opening the back door ahead of them.

Smells from the kitchen immediately wafted toward them, the noise not as loud back here. Stepping into the kitchen, Vince was met with a familiar face straight away.

Juliet looked up from the massive island counter, saw them there and put down the piping bag she was using to fill some sweet pastries with cream.

"Tala!" She cooed, wrapping her niece in a huge hug. She looked her up and down critically. "You look amazing, little one." Her eyes averted to Vince now and he felt some of those butterflies return. His worry was ill founded as she swept toward him and grabbed him into a hug much like the one she had given Tala.

"How are you Vincent? Is she taking care of you, dear?"

He nodded, leaning down to hug her. "I'm good and better than I deserve."

"Nonsense." Juliet gave him a squeeze before bustling back to her task. "First time meeting the family?" At his nod, she patted the stool beside her. "Well if you need to get away you just come out here with me." She dipped the edges of the little pastry scroll in some melted chocolate then handed it to him. "Eat up. You're too skinny."

Never one to refuse free food, Vince accepted the treat and took a bite. "I'm two hundred pounds." He mumbled around the confection.

"How heavy you are has nothing to do with how skinny you are! Eat up!"

Tala watched the scene from the side of the kitchen, pushing her purse onto the bench. "Don't force feed him, Jules! Jesus.. Let the poor man breathe."

Juliet merely rolled her eyes. "Get the boy some alcohol before your mother realises you're here. You better have some too."

Vince looked from woman to woman, "Is.. Is she really that bad? I mean.. I don't want to cause problems.."

Tala slammed a corona down in front of him. "Drink up, Coyote."

"You didn't answer my question." He said softly, his tone accusing. Tala shot him a beautiful smile and ran her hand through his hair, spiking it up.

"What question?"

He growled, "Tala.."

She winced and took a sip of his drink. "…She can be.." she replied evasively. "But hey, maybe she's drunk?"

"Oh that is it.. I'm outta here." Vince was already halfway out of his seat when somebody cleared their throat behind them.

"Well, it seems like he's running out on you already, Tala. At least it'll be cheaper than a divorce this way. God knows you could never find yourself a decent man."

Vince froze, chills running down his spine. He straightened slowly and he could tell by the set of Tala's jaw that the woman who spoke was her mother. Her words confirmed his suspicions.

"You don't even know him, mother! So don't pass judgement on him before you do!"

He turned, his hand on Tala's back. "Don't, firefly.. I don't want to come between you and your mother."

He glanced at said mother out of the corner of his eye. She was a taller version of Tala, her features a little more severe than soft, her eyes icy instead of warm. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun and her make up perfect. She looked smug.

"It seems you already have." She spat haughtily, giving him the once over. She turned to Tala. "Do you always go for the big, brawny type or is it just this oaf?"

Juliet gasped beside them. "**Penelope**!"

Tala's arm wrapped around his thick waist, fingertips stroking his side when she felt him tense. Against her hip his fingers started to twitch, a sure sign of his discomfort. She ignored her mother and aunt's arguing and guided Vince out of the room, looking for her father. When she spotted him, she navigated her way through relatives and touched him on the arm.

He looked down at her, beaming. "Ah, Tala! I was just telling-"

She cut him off. "I need the key to your study." She demanded quietly, but urgently. Walt stopped and glanced across the room where he saw Vince leaning by the wall with his head down, left hand clutching his right arm. The boy looked like a tightly coiled spring, ready to burst.

"Good god, he met your mother." He fished his keys out of his pocket and pushed them into her hands. "Go on.. I'll talk to her."

"No, don't." Tala shook her head, "It would be pointless anyway. She's already decided that Vince is a big, brawny oaf."

Walt's normally calm composure cracked slightly. "Oh she didn't.." He glanced at Vince. "Take him before he rips his skin off. I have to have words with that mother of yours."

Tala leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, then made her way back to Vince. She took him by the elbow and lead him down a quiet hallway, away from the rest of the guests. She unlocked the door and lead him inside.

"I'm so sorry, big guy. I should have known she would say something like that."

He remained quiet, but looked at her with sad eyes. "Maybe she's right," he allowed her to push him into an oversized leather armchair. "Maybe I'm not good enough for you."

Tala crawled into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging his head to her chest. She was going to kill her mother.


	19. No One Else

**A/N: To get the full impact of the first little scene you should listen to "No One Else" by Operator if you have it while you read.. It's just so .. Sexy. Honestly if you've got it, listen. Aside from that.. here's the next part in my lil drama.. As always, thanks.**

**

* * *

**Letty swung her hips in a slow circle, her hands lifted slightly above her head as she danced with Leon. The alcohol she had consumed so far warmed her and left her feeling uninhibited. She threw her head back, sending her hair back over her shoulders, the hair she and Tala had spent almost an hour painstakingly curling here and there. She had gotten some extensions put in the day before, raspberry purple ones, and wanted to do something special for Leon. Since Vince and Tala were busy with him meeting the in-laws, she and Leon decided to hit the clubs. 

Out came the chunky black knee high boots and the shortest leather mini she owned, one she had always felt self conscious wearing, and a backless white halter that sat just above her naval. Judging by the way Leon's hand had kept tracing the inside of her thigh every time she was close enough for him to touch, he liked the look. When he had walked into the bathroom to fix his hair and had seen her with her foot propped against the sink, lacing her boots, he hadn't been able to speak.

Letty's eyes fell shut at the thought of how he had felt as he walked over to her and pressed himself full against her back, his heat burning into her from behind as he ran his hands across the exposed strip of flesh beneath her top. His lips brushing her ear as he'd whispered how sexy he thought she looked, his teeth catching on her earrings and tugging slightly…

Leon's low, raspy growl tickled at her ear, his hands sliding around her hips as she ground back into him. "Tell me that look on your face is for me." His breath was hot against her ear, his body moving in time with hers to the slow, heavy pulse of the music. He groaned as she rocked against him, swirling her hips in figure eights as she slid down his front. She smiled up at him, just a small impish grin.

"But of course."

He pulled her to him, belly to belly, and ran his hand down the side of her thigh, slowly lifting her leg to rest around his hip. He ignored the looks they were getting and darted his tongue out to drag across her lip. He could taste the tequila she had drank on her breath. She whimpered, sliding her cheek against his.

"Le.."

He pulled away to look at her, still holding her body flush against him. "What is it?"

She rolled her hips against him, her mouth slightly open in a gasp. Her breath was leaving her in small pants, her pupils dilated, skin damp with a sheen of sweat. "Take me home, Le."

Grinning wickedly, he gently guided her ahead of him through the crowd with his hand on the small of her back, unable to help but notice the envious looks on the faces of guys they passed. He gave a small mental laugh. _And she's all mine.

* * *

_

Tala glared at her mother. She had just found her tearing strips off of Vince for the second time that night. Looking at him, Tala could see his frustration at being treated like a leper, not that you would notice unless you knew him. He had good posture anyways, but the tension in his shoulders was incredible.

Looking around the room she searched for her aunt, knowing Jules wouldn't leave him alone on purpose. Vince noticed and discretely pointed toward the bathroom, trying to ignore his mother in law to be.

"What the hell is your problem?"

Penelope turned ever so slightly, her expression bored. "Stay out of this, Tala. It doesn't concern you."

Fuming, "_Doesn't concern me_? He is my fiance! How _doesn't_ it concern me?"

Her mother rolled her eyes, refilling her wine glass. "Please," she scoffed. "Don't be preposterous! You are **not** marrying him."

Tala looked at Vince, observing the tick in his jaw. It was only a matter of time before he let loose and became the offensive brute her mother accused him of being. "Baby, c'mere." She held her hand out to him, "Why don't you go and talk to Dad? I'm sure you could chat his ear off about your babies and he'd love to hear all about them." She gave him an encouraging smile and nodded toward the living room.

Vince's eyes shifted between her and her mother, wary, but he nodded and calmly left the kitchen, dignity intact. Once she was sure he was gone, Tala turned back to her mother.

"So he has children already? He looks like the kind who couldn't keep it in his-"

"Shut the fuck up, mother." Tala snarled, clenching her fists. Her nails dug into her palms. "How could you treat him that way? Isn't it bad enough that your own children hate you? Must you insist on turning the entire world against you?"

Penelope shook her head, laughing. "You disillusioned little slut," she shot Tala a condescending look, "You have no idea what you're talking about. As usual."

Tala rolled her eyes, leaning against the counter. She was used to the name calling. It was one of the reasons that she would often meet her father somewhere for lunch instead of visiting. "Mother.. You are an idiot. Vince's babies? He owns five electric guitars. **They** are his babies. You have no clue what that man is like!" She laughed humourlessly, "Do you know why you haven't met Vince before now?" She waited for any kind of response, but didn't get any. "Fine.. You haven't been introduced before now because I didn't want him to meet you."

**That** got a response.

"You what? Why _the hell_ not?" Penelope demanded.

Tala glared at her. "Because I knew you would treat him the way you did and he doesn't deserve that! For all you know mother Vince could be old money."

The older woman looked sceptical, mocking even. "Unlikely."

Wordlessly, Tala lifted her hand, flashing the ring he had given her. She inwardly screamed with joy as her mothers jaw dropped, outwardly her expression remained blank. If it was one thing her mother knew it was expensive jewellery. Sure, he wasn't old money at all, but her mother didn't know that.

"Vince wanted you to like him so badly," she started, then shook her head. "No, you know what? Forget it. You've obviously made up your mind about him." She slapped her hand down on the counter and smiled. "I don't want you anywhere near my wedding, mother."

Spluttering, Penelope pushed her wine glass onto the counter so she wouldn't drop it. "I beg your pardon? You cannot stop me from going to my daughter's wedding!"

Tala smiled, grabbing her purse. "Sure I can, you know, it being **my** wedding and all." She explained simply. "Oh, and mother?"

"**_What_**?"

She looked down slightly, "I don't want you anywhere near my baby either." She turned on her heel and stalked from the kitchen, so proud of the fact that she hadn't started to cry. She almost started when she walked into the fairly quiet living room, most of the guests having left already, and saw her father listening avidly to something Vince was saying. He looked so much calmer now than he had ten minutes earlier. As soon as he noticed her there, his arm came out and reached toward her like it always did. She couldn't help but feel a little lighter as she sat across his thighs, head on his shoulder. She held his right hand in her lap and nestled against him, near purring as his good arm coiled around her shoulder, down around her waist and his hand came to rest on her stomach. It was almost as if he already knew about the baby, his big hand covering and protecting it. She hadn't told him yet.

His scratchy chin scraped against her cheekbone. "Ok, Firefly?"

She nodded silently, her fingers twisted in the collar of his shirt. "Let me know when you want to go home."

He smiled shyly, desperate not to offend Walter. "..I've wanted to go home for a while." He admitted, watching her massage his right hand. He winced as a sharp stab of pain seared up his wrist.

Tala frowned at him and Walt looked downright startled at his outward show of pain. "What happened?"

Vince shrugged it off, playing it down. "It hurts sometimes.."

"It hurts all the time." Tala corrected, looking at her father from beneath her brows. She stood up, smoothing her skirt. "We're going home. Did you take your pills today?"

Vince grimaced. "… No."

"And why not?"

He stood beside her trying not to look guilty. "I wanted to be clear headed when I met your parents!" He exclaimed, then his face darkened. "Though I'm starting to wish I'd taken the whole bottle now."

Walt pat him on the shoulder, walking them to the door. "You'll know better next time. We'll get drunk next time, Vince. Then we can hide in a tree and take pot shots at her as she walks past!" his face lit up with glee at the thought.

Vince chuckled, nodding. "You got yourself a deal, Walt."

* * *

Leon blinked against the dull light that seeped between the curtains, struggling to cling to the last vestiges of sleep. He sighed, stretching the tiniest amount before settling back into that oh so comfortable position on his side. Once his eyes had adjusted to the dim, he felt a smile tugging at his lips. Unable to help himself, he smoothed his hand across the softness of Letty's back and down to her hip where he grasped at the sheet and tugged it higher across her otherwise bare back. His fingers lingered on a dark patch just below her ear.  
She was laying face down on her stomach, her head turned toward him. Her hair was splayed in an almost artful way across the pillow behind her, long, dark lashes pressed against her round cheeks like small fans. Her lips, slightly open in sleep still a little swollen, a tiny bruise marring the otherwise perfect skin at the corner of her mouth. 

_I think maybe I got a little carried away_, he thought, amused as he fingered the mark. The move made the skin across his shoulders stretch ever so slightly and he winced at the unpleasant sting. Seemed he wasn't the only one.

He was busy tracing over the crescent shaped marks his short fingernails had left on Letty's exposed thigh when he heard the sharp shrill ringing of his cell. He looked beside the bed to where it usually sat when he wasn't carrying it and only saw an empty space.

"What the-?" He remembered it was in his pants pocket. "... Ah, fuck it." He mumbled, turning back towards a sleeping Letty. Only she wasn't sleeping. She was laying silently, watching him watch her.

She gave him a lazy smile. "Go answer your phone." She quietly ordered. Leon pulled a face, not wanting to get up. He collapsed into the bedding, his face pressed tightly against her bare back.  
"Don't wanna." He grumbled, scraping his goatee across her skin. Letty squirmed, laughing that quiet, breathy laugh she had just after waking up.  
"Stop that."

Leon grinned to himself when the phone stopped ringing. "Aha! I don't have – aw shit." He groaned when it started to chirp shrilly after a short break. He pushed away from her with a grunt, muttering to himself about stupid cell phones and idiots who forgot to turn them off all the time.

As he descended the stairs, he scoured the vast downstairs area with a critical eye. The place looked like a hurricane had hit it. He almost laughed aloud when he spotted his boxers hanging from a door knob. He actually _did_ laugh aloud when he saw his jeans caught on the corner of a picture frame. How they got there he had no clue.  
Reaching into the pocket of them, he fished out his cell phone and quickly answered. "Yeah?"

"Orello!" The voice barked down the line, "It's Marcus! How are ya this mornin?"

Leon scratched his bare stomach absently, "Uh, yeah.. Good I guess..?" He glanced at the clock and almost dropped his phone. "Oh fuck.. Give me like, a half hour." He said apprehensively. He was due at work at seven, as per usual and it was now nine. Two hours late.

"Alright, boy. But if you're not here by then.."

Leon scrambled up the stairs to get dressed as he spoke. "No! I'll be there! Shit.. don't fire me.." He heard Marcus laugh and calmed a little.

"I wouldn't fire you. You're the best there is around here. Be here."

Hanging up the phone, Leon picked up the nearest pair of pants, checked to make sure they weren't too dirty and pulled them on, trying not to fall over.

Letty watched from the bed, trying not to laugh as he toppled and landed on one of her boots from the night before. "Late, Le?"

He glowered at her, standing and buckling his belt. "Yes, Let." He made a grab for a black tank.

She stretched , snuggling back into the blankets. "I wonder how V went." She said after a moment. Leon paused.

"For his sake I hope it went well.. He'd been stressing about it for the past week." He bent to kiss her, brushing his thumb over the tiny bruise by her mouth. "You have a bruise."

Letty touched the spot, watching his back as he started out of the room. "See you this afternoon?"

He stopped at the door, running his hands through his hair in an effort to tidy it. "Yeah, probably around five or six. Depends if I get caught up. I'll let you know."

She waited until she heard the door close downstairs and the sound of his car starting before she grabbed a pillow and held it over her head. She would call Tala later and find out how things went, but for now all she wanted to do was sleep.


	20. What More Can I Say

**A/N: Alright! Finally an update. This is for all the shotgun lovers. You know who you are. That's about all I have to say today. As always, thanks for reading/reviewing and hopefully, enjoy!**

**Song for the chapter : "Obsession (I Love You)" by Amiel.**

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* * *

**

Vince gingerly pulled Tala's hair away from her face, holding it in his hand at the nape of her neck while he waited for her to stop throwing up. He wasn't about to ask if she was alright because she obviously wasn't, but his concern for her well being made him feel sick himself.

Her slight cough echoed around the room and he winced. "Are you finished?" He asked softly.

Tala groaned and sat back, her hand coming up to touch her temple. "I think so." She looked up at him sitting on the edge of the bathtub, sheet wrapped around his waist in place of pants. She had heard him stumble out of bed after hearing her being sick.

Vince stroked her forehead, smoothing the small fly away hairs down. "What's wrong? Food poisoning?"

Tala rinsed her mouth out with the small cup of water he got her and got up to brush her teeth. "Well, you're already sitting down," she mumbled around her toothbrush, "Actually," she said a little louder, clearer. "I'm pregnant."

"You're.." he trailed off, looking down at her slightly curved belly. He loved that curve, loved the way it felt pressed against him, but he only thought she had put on a little weight over the past month or so.. _A baby?_ He blinked rapidly as spots covered his vision, feeling himself waver slightly in his place. Tala's hands grabbed him on his sides, steadying him.

"Vince? Do you need to lie down?"

He looked at her, stunned. "I.. I think I do.." he choked out, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as she helped him stand and lead him back to the bedroom. Once he was on his back she started to back away, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Wait," he murmured, eyeing the curve barely hidden by her loose tank top, "Sit." He patted his belly.

Tala slid her knee across his abdomen and settled herself on top of him, tears filling her eyes as his hand edged her top out of the way ever so carefully.

Vince looked up at her, his hand splayed across her caramel skin, thumb stroking the spot just beneath her naval. "My baby is in there.." he stated, awed. "Our baby?"

"Yeah," Tala's hand settled over his larger one, her fingers twisting into his. "The doctor says it was most likely conceived around Christmas time." She really wasn't sure how he was taking the news, his expression so guarded. It was difficult to accurately read Vince when he deigned it necessary to keep his thoughts hidden.

"So you're three months?" he asked quietly, glancing up at her face to see her nod before looking back at the slight bump. "I don't want to be a bad daddy.." he whispered, fear bleeding into his eyes.

Tala's face softened into a tender smile and her hand pressed against his cheek, stroking the coarse stubble on his face.

"Vince, you are going to be an amazing father and don't you let anybody tell you any different. We're not destined to be our parents." She frowned, "At least I sincerely hope we're not!"

That got a smile from him. "I'd shoot you if you started acting like her."

"Put me out of my misery huh?"

Vince chuckled, nuzzling her palm. "Yep."

Tala giggled, squirming when he started tickling her side. "What would you shoot me with?"

He grinned at her lecherously. "With my shotgun." He replied lowly, edging her shirt the rest of the way off. Tala let out a quiet sound, almost a tiny little moan.

"Why does the thought of you being a shot gun toting maniac turn me on?"

He edged her further down his body and sat up, bringing them face to face. "Because you _know_ what I can do with it." He answered wolfishly. Tala tangled her fingers in his hair and brought him in for a kiss.

She pulled away, grinning. "_Don't_ I."

* * *

Letty and Tala waved goodbye to Vince after dropping him off at the shop to spend the rest of the day with Leon. They were having a girls day and as far as Vince was concerned he would rather spend his time helping out Leon than wandering around a crowded mall shopping. 

"So," Letty started, glancing over at Tala in the passenger seat. "How did it go? He seemed happy."

Tala groaned, dropping her head against the door. "My mother called him a big brawny oaf to his face, then as I was informed later, she also told him that he had no right destroying my life and soiling my good reputation with his presence."

"She did **what**?"

Tala nodded grimly, then brightened. "Daddy loved him though. He called this morning and talked to him for a while. Things must have gone well because by the end of the conversation he had Vince calling him Dad." She beamed at Letty. "I was hoping they would get along."

Letty grinned. "So things weren't a total loss then, huh?"

"Absolutely not." Tala flicked through the radio stations, "I uninvited mother from the wedding too."

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"Oh she'll try to make my life hell, but she can't exactly do that if I don't speak to her, can she?"

Pulling into the mall parking lot, Letty started to laugh. "That's true." She parked and looked at Tala. "So what's on the agenda today?"

Tala flashed a wad of cash at her. "Vince gave me money to buy something for Imp."

Climbing out of the car, Letty's face showed nothing but confusion. "Imp a cousin of yours?"

"Nope." Tala answered lightly, skipping ahead. Letty shook her head and ran after her, linking arms with the energetic woman just before they reached the doors.

"Well? Who's Imp?"

Tala leaned her head against Letty's shoulder, walking along. "Imp is what Vince and I have decided to call our baby until we find out whether it's a boy or a girl."

Before she could stop it, Letty shrieked, her hand flying over her mouth embarrassed when people turned to look at them. She flushed slightly, but ignored the looks.

"_You're pregnant_!" she asked in a loud whisper, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Tala's grin widened to the point of cracking her face.

"Uh huh!" She squealed with laughter as Letty's arms wrapped around her and both started jumping up and down.

"I'm gunna be an aunt!" Letty looked at her tummy. "How far?"

Tala touched the still fairly flat area, her stomach fluttering. Her heart swelled so much that she felt like she could burst. "Three months." She looked at Letty, giggling. "Vince, after he wrapped his head around the news, decided that six months is too long to wait."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning he wants his baby now!" She started pulling Letty toward the nearest department store. "I managed to distract him before he could set his mind to that though."

Letty smirked. "You got naked, didn't you."

"I did." Tala's brow quirked as she looked at Letty out of the corner of her eye. "Speaking of nakedness," her tone took on a light, mocking lilt, "_Somebody's bow legged_." She sung merrily.

* * *

Letty threw her keys down onto the bookcase by the door, shrugging out of her jacket. It was almost nine and she was only just getting home from shopping with Tala. The news of the baby had seemed to spur the both of them on, and for the first time, Letty found herself cooing over that tiny little jacket or those cute little pink boots. Both women had spent hours fawning over baby clothes and toys. 

All the lights were on, meaning Le was home, and the most delicious smell she had come across all day wafted from the kitchen. Music played in the background, some band she didn't recognise, no doubt something Vince had talked Leon into listening to like he was always doing, and she could hear a low, gravelly voice singing along to the music. She smiled, moving toward the sound. The only one home was Leon as far as she knew and she had never heard him sing like that. He was supposed to be, by admission, tone deaf. Letty grinned. If what she was hearing was tone deaf, she just had to hear Vince sing his heart out. Leon had always hinted that it was one of his musical talents but nobody as far as she knew had ever heard him actually put some effort into it.

She reached the kitchen and peeked inside. There was Leon standing by the oven wearing only a pair of old grey sweats, his hair damp and falling into his eyes, singing quietly to himself. Even from the doorway she could detect the warm, soapy scent of his skin.

"Hey." She greeted from the door. Leon looked up, his eyes dull and tired initially, a small sparkle creeping into them upon sight of her.

He licked some of the creamy sauce from the potato bake he was cooking off his finger. "How was shopping?" he asked. "Find anything?"

Letty could tell he was tired just from his slouched posture, the way his eyes drooped closed every other minute. She shook her head and looped her arms around his neck, dropping a kiss just below his ear and inhaling the scent of soap, shampoo and an earthier fragrance that was purely him.

"Long day, LeLe?"

He chuckled. "I heard about that," he rocked her slightly on the spot. "Couldn't have happened to a better couple."

"Imp's going to be spoilt rotten."

Leon grinned down at her. "Damn straight. Between us, Vince, Tal, her dad and Marcus.."

"Marcus?" Letty grinned, bemused. "As in your boss Marcus?"

Her hands smoothed down his back, rubbing large circles over his velvety skin. That was one of the things she loved about touching Leon. His skin always felt like an impossibly soft suede coat and was usually just as warm as one, a true pleasure to run your hands across. You never tired of the feel of it.

"He loves kids," he replied, leaning heavily against her. "He got more excited about it than I did, I think."

Letty warmed at the thought of the big imposing man melting at the thought of a child. Leon started getting heavier against her and she braced her feet firmly. _He's falling asleep on his feet!_ She realised in shock.

"Babe.. Go to bed."

He jerked slightly, blinking sluggishly. "What?" he looked around. "What about dinner?"

She looked at the oven. "Are you hungry?" When he shook his head, "Then why did you cook?"

"Just because I'm not hungry doesn't mean you're not."

Letty turned him in the opposite direction and pushed him toward the stairs, giving him a swat on the butt. She followed him closely with her eyes as he climbed the stairs just to be sure he didn't fall, then once she was sure he was safely upstairs she went back to the kitchen, turned off the oven and went up to their room.

The scene she walked in on melted her. Leon was half sprawled across the end of the bed in his boxers, his cheek resting on Winter's side with his hand curled beneath her head, cushioning it. Both were snoring lightly and out for the count. Spreading a blanket over the two of them, Letty gave both a kiss on the head and flicked off the bedside light. Her hand brushed over Leon's hair, her lips almost touching his ear.

"Love you, Le." She pressed a kiss to the inside of his wrist. "Sweet dreams, baby."


	21. You're Everything

**A/N: Big thankyou to Fi for her help with this chapter.. I would still be staring at a blank page if not for her. You're a gem! Thankyou to all who read and/or reviewed the last chappy. **

**Songs for the chapter: "Everything" by Lifehouse and "Beautiful" byAlex Lloyd**

**

* * *

**Vince looked down at Tala as she fixed his tie for him, her dainty fingers twisting the fabric between them. Her hair was pinned back into a loose up style, tiny little tendrils fallen free of the pins here and there framing her face. She had stressed about it at first until he told her she looked beautiful and he liked it better that way. He wasn't lying either. Her belly protruded out in front of her and touched his abdomen as she played with his tie, straightening it. 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked her quietly, touching her face. She leaned into his hand, pressing a kiss to his palm.

"Of course I am. Vince I wanted to marry you as soon as I said yes." She held out his suit coat, helping him ease his arm into it. "Are you sure you want to wear the tie, baby? It's not a formal wedding. I want you to be comfortable."

He nodded. "I want to look decent for you." He looked down at the blue/grey silk shirt he wore, then at the single breasted charcoal black suit. "Do I look decent?"

"The only way you could look any better, V, would be if that suit was on the floor and you were naked."

From the other side of the room where she was applying a light coat of lip gloss, Letty piped in. "I have to agree with her, boo. You look gorgeous." She turned to look at him fully. "Turn around." As he turned slowly she grinned at Tala. "His ass looks **fine** in those pants."

"I heard that!" Leon called from the room's bathroom, appearing a moment later buttoning the cuffs on his own shirt. He was in something almost identical to Vince, only he was all in black, not a hint of colour on him whatsoever. Both women whistled and hooted and he smirked arrogantly.

"I still got it, V."

Vince laughed, shaking his head. Letty threw the lip gloss into a small evening bag and took Tala by the hand.

"We'll see you two downstairs."

Leon brushed a kiss over her mouth and pecked Tala just at the corner of her mouth, as had become habit. "Remember.. Both of you are taken."

Tala looked at her six month pregnant belly, her hand resting over the swollen bump. "I think that's obvious, Leon." She waved lightly to them as Letty pulled her out the door, the women disappearing in a flurry of chiffon and blue.

Leon glanced at Vince out the corner of his eye as he leant over his bag and plucked the gold velvet pouch containing the rings from inside, then stuffed it into the inside pocket of his jacket.

"Nervous, V? You're getting married in half an hour."

Vince shook slightly, nodding. "I can't wait, but she deserved better than this, Le."

"A Vegas wedding?"

Vince nodded, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "She always dreamed of this beg wedding, you know? All her family behind her, fancy white dress.."

Leon crouched in front of him. "And you?"

"I always thought you would be my best man and Jesse would be right beside you. I wanted him here." He looked at his fingers, picking at the scar across his right palm where the cable had cut into it. "Her family's not even here, Le. Dad's not here."

Leon knew he was talking about Tala's dad, he would never mention their own father in that way. Vince never spoke of their father. Not that he'd want to after all the shit he had put him through.

"You know that if you invited Walter then you would have had to invite the swamp thing." His lip curled in a snarl when he thought of Tala's mother. He had met her once and as far as he was concerned it was one time too many. Satan had nothing on that woman. He shook his head, clearing it of all hostile thoughts and looked up at Vince.

"- And as far as Jesse's concerned, he's here Vince. Don't you worry about that. He wouldn't miss this for the world."

The bigger man straightened slightly. "You think?"

"I think he would be more nervous for you than you are, V." he laughed, envisioning it. "Alright? You need somethin to drink?"

"Can I have a jack?" He asked quietly, eyes trained on the floor as Leon moved to get it for him. He accepted the glass a moment later. "Thanks."

"What's up, V? You're too quiet. Even for you."

Vince downed half the contents of the glass, pressing the chilled surface against his cheek. "I'm getting married, Leon." He looked up. "I'm getting married and my first baby is on it's way." He loosely clenched his right hand against his thigh.

Leon frowned. "You don't want to get married and have kids?" He was confused. Vince had been so excited about both the baby and his impending vows.

"I don't deserve any of this." He murmured. "I've done so many horrible things in my life, Le. I don't deserve to be so blessed."

In a move that he hadn't done in what seemed like years, Leon pressed his head to Vince's hunched over back and wrapped his arm around him.

"This is your second chance, Vincent. It's **our** second chance. We've got ourselves good women, you've got your baby. Don't question it. You've been through hell this past year, Vince. Don't you dare say you don't deserve happiness."

Vince was quiet. "… I'm scared, Le." He turned to look at him, leaning into the hug. "What if I'm a bad husband? I don't want to be like dad."

Leon only knew about his father the things Vince had told him during one of his then infamous drunken stupors a few years earlier, and the occasional thing his mother had told him. Vince had always visited them when it was time, never the other way around. As far as he knew his father was an abusive alcoholic, that was the extent of his knowledge. From the sounds of things though, he was much worse than just that.

"Vince? What did he do-" Vince jerked away from him, shaking his head.

"**_No_**! Just no, Leon!" He had backed himself into a wall, eyes closed, expression guarded. Leon nodded slowly, stunned at his little outburst.

"Ok. I wont ask again. I promise." He offered, placating the big man. He held his hands up innocently. "Calm down. You want another jack?"

Vince nodded tightly, immediately gulping the alcohol down as soon as it was in his hand. He stared at Leon wordlessly for some time. Finally, he slumped and rubbed his face slowly. "I'm sorry, Le."

Leon shook his head. "It was nothing." He said quietly. He glanced at the clock. "Ten minutes, V."

Vince took a deep breath and nodded, standing up straighter now. "I'm marrying her."

"The love of your life."

Vince grinned, "Damn fuckin straight." He motioned to the door. "Shall we?"

Leon patted the pocket with the rings in it, making sure they were still there. "Let's go, Vince."

* * *

Vince carefully tucked the sheet up over Tala, leaving one foot exposed to the cool air in the bedroom so she didn't over heat. She stirred slightly, but didn't wake, her arm coming up to curl around his pillow. He wasn't quite sure how she could sleep curled on her belly that way, with it protruding and all, but regardless, to him she had never looked more stunning. 

It hadn't taken long for all those tiny little pins to come out of her hair. She was growing irritated with them not staying in place and he was becoming frustrated with touching the small pieces of metal every time he went to run his hand through her hair. They had stood just outside the chapel after the ceremony plucking them from all over the place. He had helped his wife destroy that elegant little hair style that someone had taken a great deal of time arranging.

Vince grinned, touching the warmed metal around his finger with his thumb. He was a husband now. He had a wife. He looked at her as she shifted in her sleep, the sheet sliding to expose her caramel skinned thigh, her leg bent at the knee and propped in front of her. _I have a beautiful wife_, he mentally corrected himself.

She whimpered in her sleep, her brow creasing slightly. All it took was a light touch and she was resting peacefully again, a small smile on her face. In sleep, her hand slid down to rest protectively over their child. Another surprise. She had waited up until they arrived back in LA and were safely inside the apartment before telling him she had caved and asked to find out the sex.

He had been floored. They had agreed that it should be a surprise, the sex of the baby.

Vince sat with his back propped against the headboard, his hand stroking Tala's head where it now rested on his thigh. As soon as she had told him what the baby was he knew what he wanted to name her. **Her**. His little princess.

Aurora Leigh would be her name, Rory for short. Aurora being his mother's middle name, Leigh being Tala's.

The mere thought of being a father both terrified and elated him. He was looking forward to meeting his little girl, kissing her, singing her to sleep, teaching her everything he could, but at the same time he was deathly afraid of failing her. He had fucked up so many things in this life and this was one thing he couldn't bear being bad at. His eyes firmly planted on Tala's belly, the fear intensified. It wouldn't be long until he met her, his little miracle. He wouldn't be able to hold her properly like a father should and that didn't sit well with him. His stomach twisted in knots just thinking about not being able to protect her to his liking.

"Vince stop thinking so loud." Tala's voice grumbled against his thigh, her cheek rubbing against the hairs on his leg. He touched her head.

"Sorry, firefly." He mumbled sheepishly. She looked up at him, her ringed fingers drumming against his leg.

"What's the matter, V? You look all forlorn and broody like," she pushed herself upright, curling herself against his side. "Having second thoughts?"

He shook his head furiously. "No! God, no!" His finger intertwined with hers, their rings fitting neatly side by side. He smiled, resting his head against hers. "We match."

"Damn right we match," she touched his hand. "If this ring comes off you die. Ok?"

He chuckled. "Alright," his mouth brushed a small kiss over her brow, "My darling wife."

Her face was buried in his neck, her laughter muffled. "How long is that going to last?"

"What? Me calling you my darling wife?"

She looked up at him, eyes sparkling with happiness. "Yes. How long must I endure this torture?"

He tapped her on the end of the nose, smiling. "For the rest of your life. You're not getting rid of me now." He leaned down and laid a loud, smacking kiss over her belly. "That goes for you too, princess. All mine." He looked up startled when he heard Tala sniffling. "What's wrong?"

Big fat tears rolled down her face, her nose already slightly pink. "I love you so much… You just.. and I.. " she buried her face in her hands, audibly crying now.

Vince pulled her to him. "Aw, don't cry," his chin rested on top of her head as he rocked her, "My darling wife."

There was a loud, less than masculine scream that filled the room as Tala's hand firmly connected with his bare stomach. She perused the almost glowing red hand print on his skin with an expression of pride.

"My pig of a husband."


	22. I Can't Live Without You

**A/N: Updating! See! I can honestly think of nothing else to say but thanks to everyone. The song for this chapter is 'Crazy' by K-Ci and Jojo**

**

* * *

**".. so I'm going to go to my boss tomorrow and ask if I can get paid leave." 

Vince glanced at her, holding the milk carton against the bench with his hip so he could unscrew the cap. "Why?"

Tala eased herself into a seat at the table. "Vince I wont be able to work with Aurora here, and you can't work to support us during that time either. We need to get money somehow."

"Marcus offered me a job manning the phones at the shop. Since the business picked up he needs more hands."

"Well if you want to take the job, Vince, I'd be more than happy for you to do that. But think about it babe," she sighed. "That would only be minimum wages. There's no way we can survive on that now let alone with a baby."

He stared at the counter top for a while, chewing at his bottom lip. "Firefly… I can take care of us. No problems." He looked up at her. "I have money."

Her eyes widened. "You what?"

"I've got plenty of money stashed away that I haven't really touched."

Dark chocolate eyes narrowed now, her face turning suspicious. "Define plenty, Vincent."

He cleared his throat, eyes shifting around the room. "Enough."

"Vince!"

"… Millions."

Tala's head spun, her vision blurring. "Millions! What the hell, Vince?" she stared at him in stunned shock. "Where the hell did you get millions from!"

He covered his face with his hand and his shoulders slumped. "… I told you I was a criminal."

"You said you assaulted someone, not robbed a bank!" She shouted, irate.

He flinched at her angry exclamation. This was what he had been dreading. Telling her about the trucks.

"I didn't rob a bank!" he snapped, ".. It was a truck."

Her face screwed up in confusion. "A truck? What do you mean a-" her eyes widened suddenly, darting to his arm. "Oh my god.. That was **you**! All those heists were you!" she couldn't believe it. Her adoring, loving, shy husband was responsible for some of the most calculated and ridiculously dangerous truck heists performed in the past decade. Almost blinded by her ire, she missed his almost violent flinch at her next words. "Vincent how could you be so stupid!"

He was slumped over the opposite side of the table now, not looking at her. "I'm sorry, firefly."

"I'm sorry? **I'm sorry**! Vincent, you lied to me!"

His head shot up, eyes narrowed on her glowering face. "I did fucking not! I have **never** lied to you!"

"You lied by not telling me, Vince!" Tears were leaking from her eyes now, the heavily pregnant woman struggling to remain composed. "Why didn't you just _tell_ me?"

"BECAUSE I WAS SCARED!" His eyes filled with tears, much like her own had. "I didn't want you to leave me." His breath caught in his throat seeing her so distressed. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Tala."

It was rare for him to call her by her name these days, so when he did, she knew he was serious.

"Well you did, Vince." She snatched his car keys off the hook on the wall. She was too big to fit behind the wheel of her little buzz box any more. "I can't be near you right now." She had never seen him look so terrified in all the time she knew him as he did at that very moment.

He blinked rapidly, battling his tears. "Are you leaving me?"

Tala squeezed the keys in her hand and turned toward the door. "I'm going to my parents' place." His hand curled around her upper arm, stopping her.

"Firefly, please.."

She wrenched her arm free, glaring at him. "You lied to me, Vince! How can you expect me to just stand here and take it with a smile?" she gave him a shove, sending him stumbling backward into the back of the couch. "I cannot believe you would do something like that, Vince! You honestly expect me to agree to us raising our baby with dirty money! You are an idiot, Vincent! An idiot!" she spun on her heel and started for the bedroom instead.

Vince sprung to his feet and tore after her down the hall. Skidding into the bedroom his legs almost went from under him when he saw her throwing clothes into a bag. "Tala, please! I didn't mean to lie to you! I know what I did was wrong, I know that! But please sweetheart – you can't leave me." He took a step closer, ".. You cant."

Tala felt herself starting to crack as she looked at him, standing there so dejected and pathetic. "I can't be near you right now, Vince." She sniffled, taking a step back as he reached for her. His face crumpled, ashamed and defeated.

"Please don't leave," he near whispered. "I need you here with me. Please, firefly, I love you so much. You can't go."

"I can and I will, Vince. Think about it," she steeled herself not to move as his hand gently slid over her stomach, now on his knees in front of her. "How is she going to feel knowing what you did? Was it all worth it, Vince? She's going to look at you one day and know, she will **know** that her daddy failed her." Tala swore she saw his heart break. She had unknowingly just exposed his biggest fear. "You can keep your money, you lying bastard. I hope it was all worth it. Your greed has cost you everything, Vince! **Everything**!"

He was shaking his head slowly, shaking. "No.. I didn't mean-"

"You don't get it, Vince! This has destroyed your life! Your filthy money can't help you now! It can't help you hold Aurora, it wont help you fix your damn arm and it definitely wont bring back Jesse! You can keep your damn money and you can keep your fucking rings."

"_**NO**_!" He scrambled to his feet, his hand tightening over hers preventing her from removing her wedding and engagement rings. "Look, I'll leave. I'll go and stay at Le's in the spare room, I wont bother you," his voice cracked, the pain bleeding through into his tone, "- but please don't take those off."

Tala stared straight ahead, desperately struggling to remain stone faced. Inside she was screaming and sobbing. She could see the irregular rise and fall of his chest. He was breathing the way he did before he had a bad attack. Sharp, faltering and shallow.

Her arms slid around his waist, her eyes closed against her tears. She almost broke down completely when his arm curled down around her, holding her to his chest. Between them, Aurora kicked against her daddy's stomach, like she knew he was there and needed her. Tala buried her face in his chest, her tears leaving a small wet patch just below his heart.

"I can't handle being lied to, Vince." She said quietly, pulling away from him. She almost kicked herself for looking up at his broken face. "I'm going home."

"But – you are home.."

She took his hand and turned it palm up, pressing both the engagement ring and wedding band into his hand then curled his fingers closed over them. "Home is where nobody lies to you Vincent.." without looking back up at his face, she leant down and took her bag in her hand then left him standing in the middle of the bedroom. She was opening the front door to leave when she heard something shatter against the wall in the bedroom, either the mirror or the television, and Vince's roar of agony. The only time he yelled like that was when he forced his right arm to move. Forcing herself not to go back, she quietly closed the door after her.

* * *

Vince threw the pencil across the room, frustrated. He couldn't wrap his fingers around it properly, unused to being left handed. He glared at the piece of paper in front of him where his efforts barely resembled squiggly lines let alone letters. 

"Now Vince," the elderly man looked at him, like he was speaking to a child, "- I know relearning everything is difficult, but there's no need to throw a tantrum."

That familiar feeling of fury started to well in his gut. He hated being patronised. "I'm not throwing a fucking tantrum!" he snapped, "Anyway, how the **fuck** would _you_ know! You've got full use of all limbs! Your dominant arm isn't completely fucked!"

Vince knew he was being difficult, but he was trying so hard and getting no results. It was frustrating. Leon had told him that he was having so much trouble because what he was trying to do was going against instinct, forcing his body to do something it didn't want to. His motor skills were telling him to do everything the opposite way. Vince scowled down at the table. _Well I'm not ambidextrous like that assy bastard am I!_ To make matters worse, he and Tala had their first big fight that morning. It had ended with her throwing her rings back at him and storming out of the apartment, going to her parents place refusing to speak to him. She had been so angry at him..

The therapist, unaware of his inner turmoil, pressed the pencil back onto the table in front of him. "Try again Mr. Orello."

Vince glared at the pencil, but awkwardly picked it up and rolled it between his fingers. He leaned forward against the table, slowly tracing out the alphabet. He looked at the paper and his eyes fell shut, defeated. It was a mess.

"If I can't do this how am I going to do anything for Rory?" he asked himself quietly, tears welling up in his eyes. Tala was right. He had already failed her and she wasn't even born yet.

"I'm sorry? Who's Rory?"

Vince jumped. He'd forgotten about the white haired old man sitting at the side of the table. "Rory is my daughter." He answered, then almost inaudibly, "She's not born yet."

Comprehension washed over the other man's face. "So that's why you're getting so upset about this." His stern face softened. "Look, Vince. It takes time to learn these things. You can't just expect to be a legible left handed writer over night after years of being right handed. You **will** get it, I assure you. But it's going to take time."

"I don't **have** time! She's due in a month and **I WANT TO HOLD HER, DAMMIT**!"

The office door opened slightly and the secretary popped her head in. "The gentleman out here would like to know if everything is ok." She asked meekly, avoiding looking at Vince, his expression thunderous and dark.

"Of course, Ellie." The door closed after her and the therapist gave Vince a firm look. "Now I wont tolerate outbursts like that in the future, Vincent."

"Don't you fucking tell me how to act! My life is in damn shambles and you're trying to tell me I can't be angry? Well fuck you, you impotent Santa wannabe! I'm _allowed_ to be angry!" He stood quickly, the chair tipping over backwards. "I've had this shit.. I'm leaving."

"You still have to pay for the full hour and a half, Mr, Orello!"

Vince grunted, throwing the door open with such force that it banged against the wall with a loud crack and startling half of the other patients in the waiting area. "Fine," he spat, "send me the fucking bill." He stalked past Leon and out the door, then with his head down started across the parking lot toward the Skyline.

Faintly, he heard the screech of a cars brakes and then a loud thump. Pain barely registered before he fell into darkness. The next time he opened his eyes he was laying on the ground, staring up at the sky.

"..-ince! Vince – come on, Coyote, wake up."

He moaned, the loose gravel on the tarmac digging into the back of his head. "Le?"

A warm hand touched his forehead and Leon's blurry face appeared over him. "Don't move, V. Just stay still."

He did as he was told, sensing the urgency in Leon's tone. "…What am I doing on the ground?" he asked his younger brother. He felt wet and he couldn't understand why. It was sunny as all hell outside. Irritatingly so. Leon frowned at him.

"You just walked out in front of a car, V."

_I what?_ "I got hit?"

Leon shifted on his knees. "Yeah, V." Vince noticed his eyes rake over him, a slight flinch in them, "Yeah, you got hit." His voice sounded shaky, rattled. Not at all like himself.

Vince whimpered when he heard the faint siren in the distance. "Not hospital again! I don't want to go to the hospital again, Le!" he moved to grab Leon's arm but the movement jarred his body and pain lanced throughout his entire frame. He cried out. ".. no.. no hospital.." his breathing became fast and irregular, almost a pant as panic seized him.

"I'm sorry, Vince," Leon looked close to tears. "I'm sorry."

His inability to move made his panic worse. His eyes were wet now, uncaring of who saw him break down and sob. He could feel the cool metal of the chain around his neck pooling at his throat, the heavy weight of Tala's rings a painful reminder.

"Just let me die, Le," he squeezed his eyes shut, ".. let me die."


	23. Facing His Past

**A/N:** **Big thankyou to Fi for reading over this to make sure it wasn't utter tripe. Thankyou to my reviewy people. You help keep me interested in writing this story.**

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* * *

**Vince stared blankly at the wall ahead of him, his head cocked to the side on an awkward angle, oxygen mask firmly in place. The room was eerily quiet, save for the soft, lulling beep of his heart monitor. When he had been hit he had broken five ribs, two of which had punctured one lung in separate places when he had fought not to get put into the ambulance. Said lung had collapsed on the way to the hospital, hence the chest tube and mask. It hurt to breathe. 

He had a gash in his side deep enough to require internal stitches from the hood ornament on the car. A Jaguar. When he had been told it was a jag that hit him his only reaction had been 'I hope I dented the fucker'. And he did. By god was there one hell of a dent The paramedics had been shocked that his injuries weren't more extensive after seeing the car.

He was littered in cuts and bruises, gravel rash covering his right forearm and the right side of his jaw where he apparently skidded across the tarmac. Vince didn't remember any of it. Leon had quietly informed him that he had been visibly thrown a good ten feet and skidded a few more after he landed, then the younger man had abused the shit out of him for scaring him like that.

Vince couldn't bring himself to care that he'd terrified a good twenty people that morning. He didn't care that Leon had almost gotten hit himself running over to his side. He looked at the drainage tube in his side, keeping the wound and the bed of his lungs clear of all nasty fluids, and was tempted to just rip it out. The doctor told him if the tube wasn't in there, the fluid could pool and effectively drown him in his own blood. At that moment he couldn't think of a kinder fate.

"Vince?"

He looked up slowly, heart jumping into his throat. In the doorway, Tala stood there with one hand on her belly, the other nervously resting on the doorframe. He blinked slowly, but said nothing.

She smiled meekly, almost hesitantly at him and took a step closer. "Are- are you alright?"

His breath caught, wheezing slightly. "…No." Just the sight of her hurt, knowing she didn't want him any more. Her hand on her belly hurt even more. If she didn't want him, she wouldn't want him near the baby. His eyes filled with tears and he turned away from her, blinking them away. For someone he had never met, the thought of being unable to see her, touch her, hurt more than any physical injury.

"Vince, you can't hide tears from me. You know that."

He cringed. "Why are you here? You left **me**. Why do you care?" He kept his voice quiet upon doctors orders, trying not to strain himself.

"I screwed up, Vince."

He flinched, startled at her admission. Turning to her he saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. "What?"

She sat carefully beside the bed, taking his hand in hers. Her thumb brushed over the stone finished platinum band around his ring finger. She sniffled looking at it. "I thought they would have taken this off you for surgery."

He nodded slowly. "I got Leon to help me put it back on once I woke up."

Tala nodded weakly, crying silently. "I feel so horrible Vince," she whispered, looking up at him, "I was so terrible to you this morning. I shouldn't have said those things to you, Vince. I had no right."

He looked down at their hands, her small one clutching his oh so carefully so she didn't disturb his IV. "You had every right," he murmured. "You're my wife, Tala. If you can't say anything you want to me, what kind of husband am I?"

She started to cry anew at his words, bending to kiss his knuckles. "I have been sitting out there terrified to come in here for the past two hours. I didn't think you would want to see me." She pressed her cheek against his hand. "I'm so sorry, Vince. Can you ever forgive me?"

He swallowed thickly. "You hurt me Tala." His voice cracked slightly, ".. you left me." It may have only been for the day, but even those short hours apart had turned his world upside down and spun it out of control. He was back in hospital, as far as he knew without a wife, and no daughter. All in a matter of hours. All because of a stupid confession based on his overactive male pride.

"Vince," Tala's quiet voice was lulling him back to sleep, "I was wrong. I said some horrible things to you and I know you're upset," her tears fell hot against his hand, "- but please give me another chance."

"Why would I," he blinked at her tiredly, twisting his fingers to touch hers, "-when I was never mad at you in the first place?"

She gave him a watery smile. "You can't let me off that easily Vince. I was a bitch to you this morning."

He rolled his eyes. "I lied to you."

"I overreacted." She threw back. He reached out to touch her cheek.

"I don't blame you," he glanced down, noticing her rubbing her belly. "She acting up?"

Tala nodded, shifting uncomfortably. "She's been kicking the crap out of me all day. I think she's on an expedition or something." She melted when his hand dropped to their child, his voice hushed as he whispered to her. She wasn't sure of it was possible, but Aurora always seemed to settle when Vince spoke to her. Tala had a feeling it was his soft dulcet tones and the fact that she was already daddy's girl.

"… and mama's going to put her rings back on because daddy feels like a dick being the only one wearing one." He looked up at Tala's face, his expression hopeful. "Right?"

She nodded mutely, opening the drawer he pointed to and fishing out the chain with her wedding ring and engagement ring on it. She slipped them from the chain and looked up at him.

"How did you manage the clasp?"

He frowned, "With great fucking difficulty." He pushed the heel of his palm against his eyes, rubbing them. His head felt like a lead weight, urging him to just sink.

"Baby, my hands are swollen. Is it alright if I just wear them around my neck?"

He nodded slightly, his eyelids drooping heavily. "Does this mean you'll come home?" he asked boyishly.

Tala's lips brushed his head. "I'm already home, Vince. Right by your side."

* * *

Leon sat beside the bed on Vince's good side and kicked his feet up against the rail. Green eyes followed his girlfriend and sister in law out the door. He waited a good five minutes before speaking. 

"Spill."

Vince blinked at him, reclining against the lumpy pillows. The oxygen mask had been replaced with nasal prongs instead now, making him look a little more human. He was still pale but he was breathing easier than days prior.

"Spill what?"

Leon's feet dropped to the dingy carpeted floor. "You've had that 'I want to say something' look on your face for the past hour." He quirked a brow, leaning forward to rest his elbows against his knees. "You've got a lot on your mind, V."

Vince wearily nodded. He took a breath, a little too deep, and immediately regretted it. Leon was on his feet in an instant, his hand settling over Vince's chest. At first he had felt awkward touching Vince in such a manner, and Vince sure as hell hadn't appreciated it, but now it was second nature. "Here?" he asked, applying the smallest amount of pressure.

Vince nodded weakly, his head tipped back, eyes closed. A tear leaked from his eye, defeated. "Thanks, Le."

Leon nodded, "Now are you going to tell me?"

Vince was silent for a long time, "If I die," he opened his eyes, "Will you take care of my girls?"

"You're not going to die, Vince. The doctor says you're on the mend."

"I didn't mean now," he swallowed, wincing. "But if anything ever happens, I want you to take care of them. All of them."

Leon nodded, sitting back down. "I assume you mean Let too, then."

Vince nodded. "And keep them away from Dad. I don't care what happens," his eyes started to glass over, "-you keep my little girl **_away_** from him." There was a tremble in his already quiet voice. "Promise me, Leon."

Eyes narrowed slightly, Leon gave a solitary nod. "I promise." He could see Vince's hand forming a fist against the sheets and reached out, taking his hand. His head hurt all of a sudden, his mind whirling. "Are you going to tell me why? Or should I just go into this promise blind?"

"I didn't know."

Leon felt his heart stop beating for a moment at Vince's quiet admission. "You didn't know what?" he managed to shift the chair closer to the bed. "Vince?"

There were tears streaming down Vince's face by now, silent, and he struggled to keep his breathing even. "I didn't know what he was doing was wrong, Le. I swear I didn't." His fingers tightened almost painfully against Leon's hand. "I didn't.."

A slow nauseated burn started to settle in Leon's gut. "V… You can tell me what he did."

Vince's response was quiet, sounding almost like a whine of pain. "If I say it, it makes it real, Le."

The younger man closed his eyes, resting his head against the rail on the side of the bed. "Tell me it's not what I think it is, Vince." He swallowed against the lump in his throat. "There's only one thing I can think of that would make you so adamant about keeping your daughter away from him, and if it's it.."

"…He abused me, Le." He shook as he said the next part, "In every sense of the word."

The lump in his throat grew too large to contain and forced it's way out of him in a sudden wave of pain. Before Leon could bottle it and contain it like he usually would, he had gasped out a sob.

"For fucks sake, Vince! Why didn't you tell me?" he cursed himself for being weak when his voice shook weakly.

Vince untangled his fingers from Leon's grip and rubbed at his wet eyes, starting to itch. "It.. I didn't want you to worry."

Leon snorted, eyes watery. When he spoke he stayed quiet. "Is that why you came to see us all the time?"

Vince nodded slightly. ".. I didn't want him to hurt you." He muttered meekly, sniffling. "I wasn't close enough to protect you all the time.."

"What – so you protected me by letting him.." he trailed off, seeing the broken look on Vince's face. "Jesus, V."

Vince's expression immediately turned defensive. "I couldn't let him do that to you! And as far as letting him, I DIDN'T LET HIM DO ANYTHING!" He gasped for breath, eyes cinched shut, ".. fought him.."

Shaking, Leon helped him lean forward, his cheek pressed against Vince's temple. His hand rubbed Vince's heaving back. Soon enough tears replaced the gasps for air and Vince sagged against him.

"…I tried." He looked up at Leon through glassy blue eyes, red rimmed. "I tried, Le." His breath caught again. "It's all my fault."

Leon flinched at Vince's last whispered words, eyes closing to veil his tears. "You try blaming this on yourself again and I'm going to hit you."

"But it was-" he stopped talking when Leon's hand slapped down on his back.

"It was never your fault, Vince. It shouldn't have happened then and it's not about to happen again. He comes near us and I'll shoot him."

Vince shook against his side. "You can't tell Firefly. She wont want me any more… I've already messed up once, Le. I can't lose her again."

"I wont say anything," he assured, "I wont. We'll be ok, Vince." He helped him lay back down once he was calmer. "You know you'll have to tell her though."

Vince nodded. "I know I do – but for now I want to just pretend it never happened."


	24. Pregnant Trucks

**A/N: Alright.. Yeah. Thankyou to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and to Fi for a line in this one. She'll know it when she sees it.

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Leon sat bolt upright, his heart racing. "What the-" he glanced at Letty and saw her still sleeping, "Figures." He muttered, reaching for the phone. Through a yawn, he answered. ".. ello?"

"Le! Le you gotta help me."

Leon frowned, rubbing his face with his free hand. "Vince? It's two in the fucking morning, Vincent. Can't it wait?"

"Tala's.. and there.. all over.." he sounded breathless and almost frantic, then he heard Tala snap something in the background. "Leoooon! HELP!"

Immediately, Leon's heart started to race. "What's going on?"

"Tala's in labour! What do I do? Tell me what to do, Le!"

"How am I supposed to know! Shit.. Um.. Oh fuck.." his fingers fisted themselves in his hair, "Wait! I know!"

He reached out and shook Letty's shoulder. "Let! Baby wake up!"

She let out a tiny whimper at being disturbed, but one eye cracked open. "What is it?" She looked up at him sitting there looking all ruffled and quirked a brow. She lifted herself to her elbows and shivered at the cool air on her bare skin, then tugged the blanket up over her shoulders.

"If Tala goes into labour," he fidgeted, "What should V do?"

She blinked at him slowly. ".. Take her to the hospital." She replied slowly so he wouldn't miss any thing.

His eyes lit up. "Of course!" He lifted the phone to his ear and Letty sat up. She didn't see that before.

"Vince! Let says you should take her to the hospital!" he rushed out.

"The hospital! Right!.. Why didn't I think of that!" There was pause, ".. Le.. I CAN'T DRIVE!"

Leon looked at Letty, now out of bed and pulling on clothes. "What are you doing?"

She rolled her eyes. "I swear men are useless sometimes." She muttered. "I'm going to go and take them to the hospital Leon!"

He scrambled from the bed, getting tangled in the quilt. "Fucking quilt!" He snarled. "We'll be there soon, V. Hold her legs crossed!"

"I **really** don't think that's going to work, Leon!" he sounded flustered, "Oh my god.. I can't breathe.."

In the background he heard Tala scream at Vince. "You **wont** be breathing much longer if you don't **GET ME TO THE FUCKING HOSPITAL**! DO YOU WANT YOUR DAUGHTER TO BE BORN ON THE DAMN **KITCHEN FLOOR**?"

Vince whimpered. "No, firefly! I didn't mean-"

"**Shut up, Vincent**!"

Vince quieted. "Shutting up. Sorry. Leon hurry up!"

The younger man nodded to nobody in particular, stepping into his jeans. "Be there in ten, Vince." He hung up the phone, thundering down the stairs after Letty.

"Are you driving?" he called after her, pulling an old black shirt over his head.

She nodded. "You're in no state to drive, Leon." She reached for her keys, but stopped when Leon threw his at her.

"Skyline's faster, babe."

Her eyes widened marginally, surprised. Leon let no-one drive that car. "Are you sure?"

He nodded, following her out the door and locking it behind him. "Nothing's too good for my niece, Let."

By the time they got to Vince and Tala's apartment eight and a half minutes later, Leon's knees were bouncing from the adrenalin coursing through his veins. Letty noticed and laughed.

"Calm down, Le! It's not like you're the one having the baby."

He jumped out of the car and followed her inside, pounding on the button for the elevator. He looked down at his feet and suddenly stilled. "I forgot my shoes."

Letty looked at his bare feet, the small 'J' tattoo on his big toe dark and vivid against his skin. He'd gotten it done in Vegas the same weekend Vince and Tala got married. "So you did. Doesn't matter," she stepped into the elevator, "-you're not going to need them anyway."

He clamoured in after her, "I wont?"

"No, sweetie. I don't think so."

He bounced on his toes, watching the numbers light up as the elevator rose slowly. "We're going to be and Aunt and Uncle, Let."

She took his hand in hers, trying to calm him. "I know, Leon and it's absolutely wonderful, but you have to calm down. You're Vince's rock. What happens if he sees you a mess?"

He visibly restrained himself. "You're right. I'm calm." He took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders. "I'm calm."

Letty giggled, "Sure you are." The doors opened and the pair fought each other to be the first out the door, running down to the apartment. "V, open up, boo!"

The door swung open almost immediately. "What took you so long?" he looked pale, frightened and about ready to faint.

"I said ten minutes. It took us eight." Leon followed Letty who had pushed past him into the kitchen.

Tala was leaning against the bench, her head down in tears.

"I fucking swear," she mumbled, "I don't know how you managed to stay calm enough to pull off those heists like you did."

Vince gingerly helped her upright, leading her toward the door. "The truck wasn't in labour, firefly!"

"That's right! There was no baby comin' out of the truck!" Leon chimed in from her other side, supporting her weight.

Tala's quiet growl shut both up almost instantly.

"I'd keep quiet if I were you two." Letty offered, "I think she's heard enough from the peanut gallery."

The smaller woman nodded tiredly. "Thankyou, Let."

Letty smiled, holding the door open for them. "Shall we go and have a baby now?"

Tala managed a quiet giggle. "I'm thinking we shall."

Standing at the elevator, Leon looked at Vince over Tala's head. "You're gunna be a dad soon, V."

Vince nodded, dazed. "I.. I think I'm going to faint." At his words, Letty darted to his side.

"Leon, you carry Tal. I've got Vince."

Leon carefully scooped Tala up against his chest. "Got it."

* * *

Vince stared at Aurora, the entire world around him silent. Her head was covered in dark wispy curls, the same colour as his own hair. Tiny little hands curled into fists, held close to her chest as she slept against him. The only way they could figure out for him to hold her so she was properly supported was for him to sit down, his ankle propped against his knee. Her tiny head lay in the bend of his elbow, his fingers tracing over the delicate lily white skin of her tiny little foot. She looked like a darker version of Tala and strangely enough, a little like his mother. 

He bent to kiss her head, sniffling slightly. A sense of calm spread over him as his lips touched her head, her slight wriggle against him creating an almost painful, indescribable ache in his chest. But it was one that warmed him.

"My princess," he whispered, nuzzling her cheek with the tip of his nose. He didn't want to scrape her with his beard. Tiny fingers uncurled, then tightened again around the fabric of his tank. He hadn't been home yet so he was still in the same thing he was wearing when Leon and Letty had come to get him the night before. His pyjamas. He had gotten some odd looks at first, but as soon as people had found out his wife was in labour their looks of confusion turned to warm smiles and well wishes. He never knew strangers could be so friendly when it came to reassuring a terrified father to be.

"Vince? Baby I've been calling you for five minutes.." Tala's quiet words finally reached him and he looked up slowly.

"Sorry?"

She gave him a gentle smile. "Do you want to put her down yet?"

He shook his head. "I'll carry her until she's twenty if she'll let me." His eyes were back on the little girl before he even finished his sentence.

Tala laughed. "And here you were worried you wouldn't be able to nurse her."

He touched the tiny little band around her wrist, craning his own carefully to do so. "She's perfect, firefly."

Tala eased to the floor, tightening the sash on her robe. Carefully, she helped move Aurora a little further up Vince's chest and sat on his knee, watching him. She swore she had never seen anyone so enraptured by something before. Every ounce of his attention was directed at the quiet infant cradled against his chest. She had been worried about how he would manage, only being out of hospital himself for a week. Technically he was still supposed to be on bed rest. Looking at him now, she knew her fears were ill founded. He was a natural.

"That's your nose," Tala said, touching Rory's nose gently. Both parents grinned when she squirmed and her mouth opened in a yawn.

"That's mama's nose. I'll have to find a picture for you." He glanced at her. "I'm pretty sure Le's got them all."

Tala waved lightly toward the now open door, "Speak of the devil."

Leon flipped her off and crept over to them. He stared for a moment then spun on his heel and looked at Letty.

"I want one."

Tala erupted into a fit of laughter at his statement and had to smother it with her hand, Vince cracked a grin and Letty's jaw dropped.

"Aren't I supposed to be the one that says that?"

Leon waved her off, muttering and turned back to Vince. "Can I hold her?" he asked, hands outstretched.

Vince glowered at him. "You drop her and I'll murder you where you stand."

"I wont, I swear. Just let me hold her." His fingers wriggled. "Gimme."

Vince glared at him. "You're lucky you're my only brother."

He rolled his eyes, carefully cradling her head in his palm as he scooped her up and arranged her against his chest. "In my pocket there's a present for her." He mumbled against her cheek, instinctively starting to rock her slightly when she made a sound.

Vince grumbled, reaching into Leon's pocket warily. "I swear if this is some sick play to get me to feel you up.."

"I wouldn't do that, V."

Vince pulled his hand out, twisting a little gift box in his fingers. "What is it?"

"Open it, dip shit."

Doing as he was told, he flipped the top off the pink box and peered inside. A tiny little ID bracelet with her name on it and little fireflies engraved on either side winked up at him. Vince looked over to Tala, sitting beside Letty on the bed.

"Look at this," he held it out to her, the gold chain looped around his fingers. "You guys didn't have to do this."

Letty shrugged. "We wanted to get her something she could keep as she got older."

Tala, still a little emotional from the past twenty four hours, took one look at it and the tears started leaking from her eyes.

"It's so beautiful!" her hand came up to cover her mouth. Vince cleared his throat and held his arm out to her, nestling her head beneath his chin as she climbed into his lap.

Leon smiled, still gently rocking from side to side with Aurora. "Your mama's nuts, princess." He looked at Vince, watching them. Just from the look on Vince's face he knew that if anything ever happened to the little baby in his arms it would kill him.

"Remember, Le.."

Leon nodded, remembering their conversation from the week before. "I promise."


	25. Dilema

**A/N: Another update already for you guys. Enjoy and the song for this chapter is "Like A Stone" by Audioslave.**

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**"You copin' alright, boy? Don't need no help?" 

Leon looked out of the corner of his eye, smoothing his hand over the front fender of one his latest projects. He blinked sleepily but didn't stop what he was doing.

"Yeah, I'm good. Why?"

Marcus sat down at the bench across from him and quietly watched Leon work, not answering his question. "You seem a lot happier lately. Got anything to do with the arrival of your niece? She doin' alright?"

Leon's distracted smile answered his question right away. "She's perfect. Letty still wont let me have one though."

"I know how you feel. I was the same when my brother had his first." he chuckled, kicking his feet up, "How old is she now?"

He smiled proudly. "Going on three months."

There was a companionable silence between the two for a while. Marcus cleared his throat.

"Where'd you learn to paint like that?" The big man asked, watching him.

Leon shrugged. "Always seemed natural I guess. Wouldn't have picked up a brush if I'd have stayed in Miami though."

Interest lit up Marcus' eyes. "You lived in Miami?"

Nodding, "Sure did. Moved there when I was about five when the olds got divorced, moved away from there when I was seventeen." He told his boss, inwardly wondering what brought on the sudden interest. Leon gave a mental shrug. _I've got nothing to hide._ He honestly didn't mind talking to Marcus.

"What made you start? Paintin' that is."

"Moved in with V and decided the place needed some colour. Vince reluctantly let me experiment in the basement. It was a start." He rolled his shoulders, stiff from leaning over for so long. "It was through Vince that I got into cars. His friend owned a shop, needed an on site painter.. the rest is history."

Marcus nodded slowly, rubbing his finger across a small smudge of red paint on the bench, smearing it around in circles. "DT right?"

Leon nodded, tidying his work space. "Yeah, that's right."

"That job is the only reason I hired you, you know." He chuckled at Leon's look of indignation. "Now don't get me wrong.. I was impressed by you anyway, but a friend of mine has a son who's big into racing. Mentioned your name and the kid went nuts. He didn't stop raving for a good few hours about you."

Leon laughed slightly, turning to sit down. "I should thank the guy one day then."

Marcus picked up a sheet of gold leaf vinyl that had been sitting on the bench, turning it over in his hands. "Listen, son," he waited until Leon looked at him before he went on, "I don't know what's goin' on with you and your family lately, but if y'all need anything you now you can count on us right?"

If his boss hadn't have sounded so damn serious, Leon would have laughed. Instead, he slowly cocked his head to the side and his eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?"

Marcus sighed, his big boots thudding heavily onto the floor. "There's been some people askin' round about you guys." He wisely ignored the sudden darkening of the young man's features. "Now I don't know what's goin on, nor is it any of my business, but I've advised everyone I know to keep their mouths shut until I talked to you about it."

Leon could feel the lump starting to form in his throat, dread swelling in his gut. "Who's been askin?" He wiped his hands on a rag, scratching at some flecks of paint to avoid looking at his boss.

"Man named Dominic. Says he's a friend of yours."

Leon started to laugh, almost hysterically. "**_Friend_**? That man is an asshole. We used to be friends. **Used** to be." He quieted. ".. He's also Letty's ex."

Marcus sighed, running a hand over tired features. "Is he trouble? Is he someone I'll have to escort off my premises with my foot if he shows up and causes shit?"

"Call the cops," Leon spat, "That'll scare the fucker away. He's the one that left Vince in the hospital alone. If Dom had've stuck around for him Vince wouldn't be the way he is."

After meeting Vince the first time, Marcus had quietly pulled Leon aside and queried him on the scruffy man. He could tell just from the timid way he stood behind Leon that the bigger man was traumatised by something at some stage and judging by his shifting from foot to foot, he wasn't used to being the dependant one. He had caught him a few times eyeing the bikes that day, a look of sad longing on his face when he thought nobody was looking… But Marcus saw. It was his job to see all in his shop. Right away he had known it had something to do with his right arm, strapped and encased in that heavy duty brace. Since then Vince had come out of his shell a little more, now able to joke around with him, but he was still a bit wary of the other guys.

"How was he before hand? More like you?"

Leon actually choked on his laughter. "God, **no**! Try picturing him a little more uh.. Surly."

Marcus half smiled, sceptical. "Vince? Surly?"

"Hell yes. Mean as all hell too.. Nasty temper. He'd sooner smack you in the mouth with a lead pipe than talk civilly to you."

"What changed?" Marcus watched him start applying a coat of clear over a fender he'd painted the day before.

Leon shrugged. "He got hurt," he barely glanced up, "Almost died a couple of times.. He's kinda skittish around people now." He handed Marcus a paintbrush that had rolled onto the floor, not waiting for him to even move before going back to his work. His tone clearly stated that he was done talking.

Getting up, Marcus looked over his shoulder as he washed the fine brush. "Well whatever happens.. I meant what I said. If this Dominic fella starts givin you trouble, you let me know."

"That's _not_ going to happen."

Marcus frowned at Leon's dark tone. "How can you be sure?"

Leon grated his teeth and slammed his palm against the bench. "Because I don't plan on letting the son of a bitch find out where we are!" He shouted, glaring at the big Texan man in front of him. There was a moment of silence.

"I'll do my best to keep your position here quiet, Le."

Leon blinked at him, almost trembling with anger. "… Thankyou." He ground out softly. "Is that all you wanted?"

Marcus nodded, just a slight tip of the head. "I'll leave you to it." He turned on his heel and walked away from the usually easy going young man he'd come to admire. If the thought of this Dominic guy pushed Leon to the point of shouting at him, a man almost twice his size, he wasn't sure he wanted this guy to find him. Lord knows what could happen.

* * *

Leon flicked through the design sheets he'd found on his work bench after returning from lunch, his brow furrowed. "Marie!" he called ahead of him, not looking up from the papers as he walked into the office. "Where did these come from?" 

The blonde secretary snatched the papers off him, flipping through them. "Wow! These are great! You do such brilliant work, Leon." She gushed. Leon stared blankly at her. He had no idea why Marcus insisted on hiring eye candy who didn't know what the fuck they were doing.

"If I did them, would I have asked where they came from you vapid moron? Where did they come from?" He snapped, ill tempered. His head was pounding from eye strain, his hands were hurting and he had gotten an hours sleep the night before. Now with the added knowledge of one Dominic Toretto looking for them his mood had soured even more. He just wasn't in the mood for her shit.

The curvy blonde pouted, no doubt trying to figure out whether he had insulted her or not. "But- I thought they were yours.."

He rolled his eyes and tensed, resisting the urge to scream. "Oh for fucks sake.. **No**. They are **not** mine. **_Where_** did they come from and **_why_** were they on my bench?" he asked slowly so she wouldn't miss anything.

She blinked at him. "Uh.." She looked around, "You're sure they're not yours? You didn't just forget you did them?"

Leon stared at her wide eyed, then silently plucked the papers from her grasp and turned and left the office, shaking his head. "Stupid bitch.." he muttered under his breath, walking back through the shop. "Fuck it," he said, throwing them down on the desk by the back door, "I'm not touching them until I know where they came from."

He dropped a wrench on top of them so they wouldn't blow away and went back to work.

* * *

Letty pushed her sunglasses up onto her head, holding her hair out of her face and tucked her keys into the pocket of her jeans. The heavy door slid shut behind her and a bottle blonde sat at the desk in front of her. Letty barely refrained from reaching out and punching her in the face when she gave her the once over and went back to filing her nails. 

"Don't you have a job to be doing?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow. The blonde stopped and looked up at her, then, threw down her nail file and plastered a fake smile on her face.

"How may I help you?"

Letty shot her a smile back, twice as fake. "I'm looking for Leon Orello. He works here."

Instantly the blonde stood and walked around the desk, jabbing her finger into Letty's chest. "Now you listen here you whore, stay away from my man!"

"Your man?" Letty swatted her hand away, "Is it nice in that little fucked up world of yours? Leon's **my** boyfriend! And get the fuck outta my face you skank!"

The tall blonde smiled smugly. "That aint what he was saying last night."

Letty started to laugh. "Last night?"

The girl nodded, her expression on of smug victory. "That's right." She folded her arms across her chest, "Last night."

"Was this before or after I spent the better half of the night with my legs wrapped around that waist of his riding him like a cowboy?" Letty asked crudely, quirking a brow.

Laughter erupted from the doorway and both women turned. There was Marcus standing just outside the door, leaning against the wall for support as he shook with mirth.

"That just paints the perfect picture, Let." He remarked through his laughter. Letty grinned and waved.

"Hi, Marcus! How's the wife?"

The big man stood a little straighter, eyes sparkling at the mention of his wife. "She's wonderful, thanks. Gone to visit the kids in Texas."

"Aww," Letty smirked. "All alone, huh?"

Marcus nodded grimly. "'Fraid so, little darlin." He clapped his hands together. "You here for the boy?"

"Yeah, lunch hour." She replied, ignoring the indignant exclamations coming from the blonde about being ignored. "He in?"

"In his little booth." He frowned. "He's been outta sorts all damn day. Near took the head off one of the guys earlier. Everyone's keepin clear of 'im."

Letty's face twisted in confusion. "Can I go see him?"

Marcus stepped aside from the doorway and made a sweeping motion with his arm. "By all means! Maybe seein' your pretty face'll cheer 'im up."

Letty started toward the door, then paused. "Marcus, could you turn around for a minute?" At his confused look, "Please?"

He slowly turned away and Letty grinned, turning back to the blonde.

"What's your name?"

The blonde huffed, "Marie."

"Marie?" Letty strode forward and swung out, her fist catching Marie across the cheekbone and sending her crashing into the filing cabinet. "Stay the fuck away from my man, Marie." She snarled down at the blonde on the floor cradling her face. As she walked by Marcus she could make out his faint snickers and shot him a mock dark look. "You too, big boy."

He gave her a one fingered salute then disappeared into the office, closing the door behind him.

Letty waved to some of the guys as she worked her way back toward Leon's designated workshop. They had sectioned it off to help with his concentration before they had known he could work through anything. She tapped on the door and let herself in, seeing him hunched over the bench.

"Fuck off." He snapped, not even looking up.

Letty shook her head. "What crawled up your ass today?"

He jerked upright, spinning to look at her. "Jesus, Let!" He put down the fine paint brush in his hand and wiped his hands on his thighs. "Why didn't you say it was you?" He pressed a kiss over her brow and hugged her.

"What – and miss out on being told to fuck off so politely?"

He flushed, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry bout that. It's been a shit of a day so far."

Her face softened and she pushed him back onto the stool he'd been sitting on. "What's the matter, baby?" she stepped between his spread legs, "Tired?"

He gave her a dry smile. "Just a little bit. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

Letty shook her head, eyes wide and innocent. He barely even smiled, only snuggled against her, pulling her closer.

His breath was hot against her neck. "Don't leave me, Let."

Not knowing what to do, she merely pulled him closer. "What's gotten into you?" Her lips grazed his cheek as she spoke and he pulled her even closer again.

His hands pushed their way up and under the back of her shirt, fingers splaying across her skin, tracing over a dark patch on the front of her hip left by his mouth the night earlier.

"Nothin." He murmured against her neck. "Nothin, Let. Just feeling a little insecure is all."

She rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "I'm not leaving you, Le. I've been with you for a year, why would I leave you now?" she pulled back and took his face in her hands. "You are the best thing that's happened to me in a long, long time, Leon. I'm not letting you go for anyone or anything."

Green eyes sparkled up at her sadly. "I can't lie to you." He said quietly, his fingers readjusting their grip on her hips.

"Lie to me?"

He nodded. "Dom's looking for us."


	26. This Father's Nightmare

**A/N: This chapter could irk some people, the subject matter and all. Just thought I should mention that.Thanks to all who reviewed and read the last chapter.**

**Song/s for the chapter 'Stay' by 12 Stones, "Lost In A Portrait" by Trapt, or "Outside" by Staind. Take your pick really.**

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Vince slid out of the elevator, tired and sore. All he wanted to do was get home, kiss Tala and give Rory a hug before crashing out on the couch in front of the television. Marcus had him sorting through the year's receipts and categorising them into repairs, paint and custom builds all day. He had gotten three quarters of the way through the stack of papers when everybody's favourite secretary, Marie, had opened the window. It just happened to be blowing a gale outside at the time. The hours of work he had done was completely destroyed and all he could do at the time was stare at the mess of invoices all over the office, dumbstruck. Then, **then**, the stupid woman had the nerve to say 'oops' and bend over right in front of him. She had been rather offended when he told her to get her fat ass out of his face.

He had been so busy in the back offices all afternoon that he had skipped lunch and hadn't seen Leon all day. Sad for the simple fact that they worked at the same place, the same hours, but neither had even glanced at each other the entire duration of the day.

Retrieving his keys from his pocket, Vince paused outside the door, hearing voices. One was definitely a baritone, male, and the other was Tala. She didn't sound upset, so he just shrugged it off and slid the key into the lock, twisting it and pushing the door open.

"Babe?" He called ahead of him, pushing the door closed quietly.

"In the living room, V!"

He kicked off his boots and slumped tiredly, rubbing his right arm. Since Aurora had been born he had been pushing himself even morso than before to get better, using the limb a little more each day. He could lift _some_ things, hold onto others occasionally, but when his arm decided it didn't want to work, it didn't. If he was fit enough to drive he just knew his car would be decorated with one of those pretty little disability stickers. His crowning moment had been when he actually hugged Tala properly for the first time. It had hurt, but it had felt good at the same time. He still needed to be handed Rory though. He wasn't steady enough to actually pick her up himself yet. Yet.

He yawned, shuffling down the small hallway into their living room, rubbing his eyes. "Who's here?"

"Your dad."

He stopped dead in his tracks, slowly raising his eyes to look at her. His heart almost stopped beating when he saw his father. Holding his daughter. Tension immediately flooded him, painfully tightening across his shoulders and a headache started to pound behind his eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He snarled, glaring at the older man. His voice was quiet, deathly so, and he could feel that old sneer creeping up on him.

His father, Joseph, smiled at him. "You have a beautiful daughter, Vinnie."

Vince glanced at Tala, her facial expression reading of confusion. She had no idea why he was being so hostile. "Give her to Tala."

Joseph's mouth opened in shock. "Excuse me?"

"I said, **give her to Tala. Now**."

Tala's eyes darkened, her womanly instinct telling her to trust Vince. She had never seen him so worked up over someone touching Rory. Wordlessly she took her daughter back from the big man, watching Vince become more and more rigid out of the corner of her eye. The closer she got to Joseph the more he tensed.

"Vince? What's the matter?" Her voice shook. She had seen him do mad on more than one occasion, but this was different. This was sheer fury and hatred. He shook as he turned to her.

"Did you leave him alone with her?"

She shook her head. "No, not once. Why?"

Vince took a deep breath and took a step back, motioning for the front door. "Take her to Mrs Willard's. You wait there until I come to get you."

Anger swept over her at his demand. "Vincent, don't you tell me-"

"**_NOW_ Tala**!"

She gently gathered Aurora closer to her chest and started toward him, frightened. He had never yelled at her like that before. Only once she was close enough to touch him did she see the tremble of his fingers. He was terrified. All trace of anger she had felt a moment before left her and she glanced back at her father in law. He had a small, some would call it sick smile on his face. The fear swelled in her chest, making her bundle Aurora even closer to her breast.

"Vince.." she looked up at him, "Vince."

He looked down, his good hand coming up to touch Aurora's head. "Go," he demanded softly, "I don't want you near him. Please firefly.." he pleaded softly, giving her a push toward the door.

"You're telling me everything later, Vincent." She told him almost inaudibly. The pain that momentarily flashed in his eyes scared her. "Alright?"

He nodded slightly. "Go on, baby." He pecked Rory on the head, muttering an 'I love you, princess' before shooing her toward the door. "Go."

The eerie silence that followed her gave her a sick feeling in her stomach and she quickly snatched Vince's cell from his pocket as she moved away from him. As soon as the door clicked shut she almost ran down the hall to her elderly neighbour, knocking frantically.

"Mrs. Willard! Please.." the door opened and the spirited old woman smiled at her.

"Hello, dear! Oh and little Aurora! Come in, come in."

Tala heaved a sigh of relief and almost pushed Aurora into the old woman's hands. The lady gave her a confused look, then saw the fear on Tala's face.

"I'll take care of her." She said firmly. "You do what you need to do."

Tears came to Tala's eyes at the old lady's kind words and she hugged her impulsively. "Thankyou, Mrs Willard. I'll just be a minute."

"Take your time, dear."

Tala nodded, scrolling through Vince's cell for Leon's phone number. She could hear muffled arguing coming from their apartment and nerves started to make her shake.

A moment later, Leon answered. "Yeah, V?"

"Leon! It's Tala. Look, Vince is acting weird. He came home and just freaked. He yelled at me, he sent me out of the apartment.. He's arguing with your dad as we speak."

There was a muted squeal of tires on the other end of the phone and she could hear Leon's breathing pick up pace. He must have been on his way home. "Wait, wait.. Dad is **where**?"

"He's in the apartment."

"In **your** apartment? **Now**?"

She nodded, biting her thumb. "Uh huh.. Leon I'm scared. He wont tell me what's going on.. Leon? **Leon**?" She pulled the phone away from her ear, looking at the display.

He had hung up on her.

* * *

Vince glowered darkly at the man that had ruined the first twenty years of his life, hatred coursing through him like wild fire. 

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

Joseph smiled, lifting his hands in an innocent gesture. "Heard through the grapevine that I had a grandchild. Thought I'd come and see her." he picked up a photo frame that was sitting on the mantle. One of Vince, Tala, Leon and Letty on their wedding day, dressed to the nines, all posing for the camera. Leon wore a look of debonair indifference, making him look more like a Mafia hit man. Letty was posing like Marilyn Monroe, Tala was doing a gone with the wind and Vince was leaning on a pool cue, cigarette hanging from his mouth, his tie hanging undone.

The older man chuckled, looking at the photo. "You four look like you were enjoying yourselves." He looked up at Vince with a spiteful smirk. "Trust you to knock her up before you were married. Never could keep it in your pants, could you son."

Vince sneered. "Fuck you! Where do you think I got that little trait from you bastard."

Joseph smiled at his anger, then looked back at the picture. "This Leon? My, my, well hasn't he grown up nicely." He scowled at Vince. "Your mother would never let me see him. I wonder why."

"Maybe it's because she knew you'd fuck him up just like you did me."

Joseph threw the picture down, the glass shattering upon impact with the floor. "You do know that you're going to turn out just like me, don't you son."

Vince shook his head furiously, steeling himself as his father walked toward him. "I'll never be like you."

"Oh but you already are, Vinnie," he crowed, swaggering closer. "You've been in prison, you yell at your wife, you have this nasty little violent streak.. Face it. You're well on your way to being me."

"You have no idea what you're talking about old man." Vince snapped, barely keeping himself from flinching as his father's hand curled around his jaw, squeezing painfully. "Let. Me. Go."

Joseph got his face as close as possible to Vince's, close enough to smell his acrid breath. "Or what, Vinnie?"

Neither man heard the door creak open behind them. Neither saw Tala's head peek in.

"I said, **let**. **Me**. **Go**."

The older man pushed closer, making Vince take a step or two back. He smirked arrogantly at the movement. "I knew it. You're a pussy, Vinnie. You were always a squealer, you know that? All mouth, you are. You wouldn't take a swing at me if your life depended on it. You didn't fight back then and you wont do it now."

Vince was trembling now, barely repressed rage making him clench his jaw so tightly it hurt. "You touched my daughter." He said quietly, flexing his fingers against his thigh.

Joseph smiled, nodding. "She's a pretty little thing, isn't she. Looks just like that mother of hers. Tell me, Vinnie. What bullshit did you have to feed her to get her in to bed? Come on, let me in on the secret." He licked his lips, quirking a brow. "Tell me all about your pretty little **wife** and **daughter.**"

Vince bit the inside of his cheek, nostril's flaring with each breath. "You shut the fuck up about my family."

Joseph's laughter boomed throughout the apartment. "Or _what_?"

Vince tore back from his father's touch, shaking his head slightly before taking another step back, then flying forward, his shoulder driving into his father's gut. The old man's breath whooshed out of him as he found himself off his feet and being driven into the wall. His head bounced off the hard surface, leaving a crack behind.

"You little bastard!" he snarled, his fist pounding against Vince's back trying to free himself. Vince took no notice, his left hand hammering into the man's kidneys. When it came to fighting Vince was fairly capable with both hands, but his left hook was by far nastier than his right.

"I hate you!" He growled dangerously, ramming his shoulder into his father's gut again, pinning him to the wall. "I fucking hate you! You ruined" punch, "-my" shoulder, "-life!"

Joseph struggled, kicking and squirming to free himself. He hadn't counted on Vince being so angry, nor strong. He was much bigger than he remembered.

It was a lucky shot that freed him from Vince's savage attack, his fist landing hard against Vince's right bicep just on the right angle. Vince screamed, jerking backward and slamming into the wall in agony.

A twisted smile spread across Joseph's face, his eyes settling on the scar tissue covering his eldest boy's arm. "Well, well.. Looks like we have an old injury. Big mistake boy. Big mistake."

* * *

"Tala you get the fuck away from that door!" Leon roared at her, pulling her backward. Her face was pale. 

"He.. Leon help him. Please." She begged, tears sliding down her cheeks. He kissed her on the head and pushed her toward her elderly neighbour.

"I will. Don't you worry."

She nodded, stepping back. It was then that she noticed the double barrel shot gun in his hand and a sob caught in her throat. She looked at his face and saw that dark, protective glimmer in his eyes that he wore almost constantly when she first met him.

"Get inside." He ordered, watching her long enough to make sure she was alright before entering the apartment.

Vince and who he assumed to be his father were rolling around on the floor, fists flying and swearing, threatening each other.

He gulped down a scream and strode over to them, then slowly pressed the barrel of the shot gun against their father's ear.

"You hit him one more time, and I'm pulling the fuckin trigger."

The large man froze, turning his head slightly. His fingers let go of Vince's damaged arm and he lifted himself off him slightly, though he was still resting heavily on top of him. He licked his lips slowly, grinning.

"Is that you Leon?"

Leon ignored him, only pressing the gun closer and harder against his head. He looked down at Vince, the terror in his eyes at having their father laying on top of him the way he was. He nodded slightly, kicking the older man in the side as hard as he could.

"Get off him. Now."

The instant Joseph was off Vince, Leon could see the relief wash over his face. His eyes fell shut. His face was taut with pain. "You alright, Vince?"

"Get that fucker out of my home." Was all he said, avoiding answering the question. Leon turned to Joseph, eyebrow quirked.

"You heard him." He snapped. "Out. Now."

Joseph brushed at his bleeding mouth, chest heaving from exertion. "I'm going to the police." His hands clutched at his ribs where Leon had just kicked him and Vince had been ramming him before that.

Vince started to laugh, the sound ominous and maniacal. "For **_what_** old man?" He was still on the floor, eyes still shut. He was smiling now, but it was closer to the smile he used to wear while beating the shit out of people. It was a smile that quite frankly, scared Leon.

Joseph glared at him. "You assaulted me, Vinnie! Unprovoked!"

Vince lifted himself upright into a sitting position, his eyes open now. "Unprovoked," he chuckled, "How's this for 'unprovoked'.. YOU RAPED ME FOR YEARS!"

Leon flinched at Vince's blatant words, his grip tightening on the gun. He knew what had happened to him but to hear Vince being so frank pained him. He wasn't sure what made him do it, but his eyes flitted toward the door and he felt a wave of sadness wash over him. Tala stood there, eyes wide and wet, her hand over her mouth.

Vince looked up at him and noticed his look, turning to see what brought it on. Nausea sunk it's claws into him at the sight of his distraught wife.

Leon waved her in, gently pushing her toward Vince then turned back to their father. He rammed the butt of the gun against his temple, sending him reeling into the wall.

"You come near us again, and next time I **will** shoot you. **Get out**."

He followed him to make sure he actually left, then made his way back up the seventh floor where Vince and Tala lived. He peeked in the door and saw Tala curled around a sobbing Vince, crying herself and slowly backed out, quietly closing the door behind him. They needed some time alone.

He gave Mrs. Willard a small, tired smile. "It's been a long fucking day." He said apologetically.

She nodded slowly, taking the gun from him. "How about I have this, and you have this?" She carefully set the gun inside, then came back with a fussing Aurora.

He took her and curled her against him, her cheek laying against his neck. "It's alright princess," he soothed, bouncing her slightly, "Uncle LeLe's gunna take care of everyone." He kissed her tiny hand. "I promise, baby doll."

He looked at the closed apartment door down the hall and fought a wave of tears He couldn't quite figure out how he was supposed to break the news about Dom to Vince now. He feared it would break him.

_I need Let._


	27. Decisions, Decisions

**A/N: I'm on a roll lately, so here's another update for you guys. Enjoy.**

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**Leon tapped on the bathroom door, peeking inside. Vince looked up at him from his seat on the edge of the bathtub, towel around his waist. His arm was red and splotchy, already starting to bruise in places, but his expression told nothing of his pain. His face was a blank, almost emotionless mask. 

He stared at Leon, almost through him. "Well now she knows.."

Leon shouldered the door open, Aurora still cradled in his arms, sleeping soundly. Vince seemed to come alive at the sight of his daughter, his good hand reaching out to touch her.

"I'm taking her home with me tonight, V." Leon told him, rushing to explain, "I think you and Tala have a lot to talk about and you can't do it if you've got the little one to worry about."

Vince's eyes were riveted to the sleeping infant, much like they always were. He truly adored his little girl.

"She's disgusted, Le." He looked at him, eyes watery. "I can't lose her over this."

Leon's hand was constantly moving, his fingers drumming lightly against Aurora's back. "You have to tell her everything, Vince. Everything." He kissed Aurora's head, avoiding eye contact with his big brother. He waited for Vince to digest what he'd just said for a moment, then looked pointedly at Rory. "Say goodnight, V."

Vince stood up, rubbing his palms on his towel covered thighs. His right arm was moving a lot slower than it had been as of late, like it was aching. Regardless, he reached out and with Leon's assistance, took Aurora in his arms, her lily white skin stark against his tanned chest.

Her eyes cracked open slightly, bright blue orbs staring almost blindly up at her father. She fussed slightly, then, hearing Vince's hushed murmurs, she settled and nuzzled into his skin.

Leon smiled, watching the scene. He almost felt like he was intruding on a private moment. The reverent way Vince held her, the way he would touch her little head and smooth her fine hair carefully showing just how much he loved her.

He looked up to Leon, eyes wide and afraid. "You'll take good care of her?"

He nodded. "Of course I will, you know I will." He watched as Vince kissed her, whispering to her. He held his hands out. "Come on, V. You have to give her to me if I'm going to take her home with me."

Vince looked down at the baby in his arms. "She's never been away from us for the night."

"Vincent, you're not getting out of this."

He nodded slowly, handing her over. He winced when Leon knocked his forearm taking Aurora off him.

Leon glared at the damaged limb. "You get short stuff to check that out for you."

"I will." Vince stroked Aurora's hand with his thumb and first two fingers, tearing up when her tiny fingers tightened around his. "Take her before I decide not to let you."

Starting out of the bathroom, Leon looked back at Vince, sitting on the side of the tub again. "You get yourself sorted out, alright?"

Vince nodded, shoulders slumped. "Goodnight, Le."

* * *

Letty hid just outside the kitchen, hugging herself to keep warm. She had been fine all curled up in bed with Leon until he had gotten up to Aurora. She peered around the door into the brightly lit room and smiled at the sight she was greeted with. 

Leon must have brought Aurora's bouncer into the kitchen and had placed her in it on the table while he prepared her bottle. He moved around the room chatting to the grumpy infant, a slight bounce in his step as he walked from the table to the microwave.

" – and then the police arrived. So there was daddy hanging half out the side window, bare assed, that means naked, for everyone to see, and your uncle Jesse was inside on the floor laughing. He had called the police you see," he tested the milk on his arm, wincing, then put it on the table beside the bouncer to cool, "-and he told them that someone was trying to break into the house."

Letty grinned. She remembered the day he was talking about. Jesse had somehow convinced Vince to go outside, snatched the towel he was wearing off him and locked all the doors and windows bar one. Vince had been stuck outside, trying to keep himself covered from the teenaged neighbours for almost an hour before the police turned up and caught him hanging out the window, ass in the air. She watched Leon pick up the bottle a little while later, test it again then put it back on the table.

"You hungry, princess?" he stood, easing her out of the bouncer and into a position he deemed comfortable for her, "Here we go."

She watched secretly from the shadows as he fed her, pacing slowly back and forth. When Aurora was first born he had begged her for a baby of their own. Begged her. After a week or so of her flat out refusing, he had stopped asking as much, instead just asking randomly every once in a while. Well, not exactly asking, he would drop subtle hints.

Letty could envision their children easily. Their father's strong profile with jewel green eyes, her skin tone maybe and tall. Tall like Leon. She knew there was a chance for them to have blue eyes like Aurora, being genetic and all, but she much preferred her imaginary babies with green eyes. Having children with Leon she could imagine. But the fear was still there. The fear that he would get her pregnant and leave her alone to raise the baby or babies on her own. Or worse… Stick around but go sniffing around elsewhere while she was pregnant.

She knew it was an irrational fear, Leon being nothing like Dom, but it still lingered over her head like a dark cloud.

In the kitchen, she saw Leon put the now empty bottle down in the sink and lift Aurora up to burp her, still maintaining a constant stream of chatter.

"One day princess, one day… You're going to have a cousin to play with. Might not be this year, or next year, or even in five years, but one day I'll talk your Aunt Teesha into having a baby with me. She's going to make beautiful babies, Rory, I swear." He smiled proudly when she burped almost delicately, then placed her back in her bouncer. He sat back at the table, wide awake now, and took her little hands in his. Her mouth opened in a wide yawn, her feet kicking in the air. The smile he gave her was almost blinding, one that was usually reserved for Letty and Letty alone.

Letty bit her lip, waiting to see if he would say anything else.

"She's scared you know, your Aunt Teesha. She hasn't said so, but I know she is." His thumbs smoothed over the arches of her tiny feet, tickling her. "I think she thinks I'm going to chuck a Dom on her," he kissed one foot, then the other, "- but I'm not. I love her too much to do something as low as that."

Outside, Letty felt tears come to her eyes at his blasé tone. He was so matter of fact about his feelings that it humbled her sometimes.

Leon started to talk again.

"I remember when I first saw her, Rory. I was seventeen," he pointed toward the large paved patio out the side, "-and I was out there. She came over with Dom, the guy who's too tall for his hair, and I thought 'what is she doing with that pig?', but I didn't say anything. You know why? Because she looked happy."

There was a quiet gurgle from Rory, almost like she was replying, and Leon went on. "I know! See, that's what I thought! But she wasn't really happy. Dom, or he with man boobs as I like to call him, he treated her bad. He would talk down to her Rory. Can you imagine that? Someone talking badly to someone so special?"

Letty bit her fist to stop the sob from coming out, her chest hurting from holding back her tears. _He's had feelings for me for seven years? I know he said it was a long time, but **seven years**?_ She knew, absolutely knew that he would never say any of this to her face, being so guarded and all, but she was glad she was hearing it.

"Alright, alright I get the point. I'm boring you to sleep."

Letty's eyes widened and she quickly stood up, running back upstairs as quietly and quickly as she could so he didn't catch her eavesdropping. She jumped into bed and threw the blankets back over her, calming herself. Luckily, she was breathing normally before the kitchen light even flipped off, the house falling into darkness. Letty rolled toward the door, watching Leon as he crept back into the bedroom, Aurora in arms. He paused, unable to see her eyes as open in the dark and proceeded to gently lower his niece into the foldout crib in the corner that Tala had sent over with him. He stood watching her for a few minutes, bathed in moonlight from the open window then turned back to the bed, crawling up toward the pillows. Letty's eyes automatically fell shut. She was unable to stop a small smile from forming when he tucked himself back beneath the blankets and against her, his hands finding their way down the back of her panties to cup her ass. She brought her leg up and over his hip, bonelessly allowing him to pull her as close as humanly possible.

"What's it going to take to make you see?" he whispered to her, fully believing she was sleeping. "Please don't go back to Dom if he shows up… Please."

Thinking it best not to respond, Letty snuggled into his warmth, hooking her leg down and around the back of his thigh. Leon relaxed against her almost immediately and soon after dropped off to sleep, his head tucked into the curve of her neck.

Sleep didn't come so easily for Letty that night.

* * *

Letty scrunched her hair with the towel, drying it off as she made her way downstairs the next morning. Leon was already up and thoroughly enthralled in the cartoons, bouncing Aurora on his knee absently. Every movement he made with her was instinct, from the way he was bouncing her to the way his large hands supported her neck and spread out over her belly to hold her upright. He looked ruffled, like he always did when he woke up, but this morning it was different. He was slightly more alert, less sluggish than he usually was while watching his cartoons before going to work. 

"What are you doing up? Didn't you call in for a sick day?" Letty asked, bending to kiss him good morning. She moaned at the rich chocolate taste his mouth held, hesitant to draw away from him. His tongue flicked over her lip one last time and he drew back, smiling up at her.

"Had to be up for Rory."

Letty nodded, sitting beside him on the couch. "Baby, about last night.." she stole Aurora away from him, quietly cooing to her niece. "You didn't exactly tell me why we're being graced with the presence of royalty."

He sat back, running his fingers through his lengthening hair. "Do you remember how I told you that dad was abusive to V?"

She nodded, watching Aurora snuggle against the swell of her breast. Her little hand pushed against her slightly, then flattened out and rested there beside her cheek.

"Yeah, you said something about it." She sneered slightly. From what she remembered of Vince and Leon's father she didn't like him. He was mean, overly cruel to Vince and downright creepy. He always gave her that look that made her want to scrub herself until she was raw. His eyes made her feel dirty.

"Well he did a whole lot more than just smack him around, Let."

Letty looked at Leon, shocked. "You don't mean.." she was dreading it, Leon's nod. When it came she stared at him, stunned. "Oh my god.." her voice shook and she felt her throat thicken. "Is he alright?"

"I think he was dealing until dad showed up at the apartment." Leon touched Aurora's head. "He was holding Rory when V got in last night from work."

"Oh fuck no," she looked down at the baby, "He didn't-"

Leon shook his head. "No, no, nothing like that. He and Vince got into it, banged each other up pretty good. I think Vince has hurt his arm again, but he was a wreck. I thought they needed some alone time so I bought her home." He looked at his lap. "You.. You don't mind, do you?"

Letty wordlessly got up and put Aurora into the crib, now downstairs, and turned back to Leon, her hands in her pockets.

"About the baby, Leon.."

He looked up at her. "I know you're not fond of them, Let, but they-"

She rolled her eyes, pressing her palm over his mouth. Her other hand took him by the wrist and dragged him into the kitchen. She waited until she was sure he wouldn't speak, then removed her hand.

Reaching into her pocket, she dug out a blister pack of tiny little pills. She held them up to his face so he could see exactly what they were, her birth control, then lifted the lid on the garbage and tossed them in.

"I want a baby."


	28. Just A Dream

**A/N: Update time! Thankyou to all who read my last chapter and to those who reviewed as well. While I'm here I'm going to pimp a friends new fic. It's called "Moving On" and I think you should read it. Its fantabulous.**

**Song for the chapter is "Somewhere In Between" by Lifehouse.

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Tala squeezed her eyes shut, her head pressed against the shower wall as she cried. Despite the water running down over her cheeks her face felt hot and sticky from her tears. Her chest hurt with every heaving sob, her lungs desperately trying for air. She never thought knowing something so horrible could hurt so much. She had always suspected that Vince had been beaten in his young life, but the news she received the night prior had completely floored her. She didn't know how he did it. How Vince managed to move on, how he managed to allow people to touch him… The thought of somebody doing that to her then someone putting their hands on her sickened her. She knew Vince was a strong man, but she never quite grasped how strong until she saw him face his father, his biggest demon, and take him head on.

The sheer brutality of his actions the night before had shocked her, but oddly enough, didn't frighten her. She had always known that if Vince was in top form he would be capable of doing some serious damage, but witnessing it herself brought a strange sense of peace over her. He would harm himself if he deemed it necessary to protect those he loved. The honest fury she had seen on his face as he proclaimed his hatred for his father had been palpable. Thinking back to the scene, Tala knew that she saw the old Vince, if only for just a short while, and even as he was beating his own father senseless she still adored him.

Vince was currently sleeping with the help of Valium, exhausted both emotionally and physically after staying up all night and telling her everything about him there was to know. Even if it was only a small incident from childhood like falling and scraping his chin on the curb, he told her. His reasoning had been simple. He wanted her to know everything about him so there were no secrets, nothing that could come between them. There had been tears, a few giggles and then even more tears.

A sudden pounding at the front door jerked her out of her misery and she quickly twisted the taps, turning the shower off.

"Just a minute!" She called down the hall, scrubbing furiously at herself with a towel, then tugged on Vince's oversized navy robe. The garment swamped her, but covered her from neck to toe sufficiently. Remembering last nights events, she peered through the peep hole and saw Leon bouncing Aurora in his arms, saying something to her with a wide smile on his face. He looked perfectly natural standing there with her in his arms, baby bag slung over his shoulder, chattering to her as if she actually cared.

She breathed a sigh of relief and unlatched the security chain on the door and unlocked it, swinging it open.

He beamed at her. "Morning!" he glanced at his watch, "Uh.. I mean afternoon." He flushed slightly, focusing on Aurora again. "You tell Mama you were such an angel last night."

Tala smiled, her heart lifting at the sight of her grinning baby girl. She held her hands out and took her.

"Thankyou, Le."

He shrugged lightly, bending to give her a kiss. "So how did it go? Are you ok? V alright?"

She waved him in, closing the door after him. "He's asleep at the moment. I gave him some Valium to help him along."

Leon frowned, sitting down beside her on the couch. He noticed the broken glass still on the floor and got up to clean it up. Tala noticed and immediately tried to stop him.

"No, Le. It's fine you don't have to-"

He gave her a look to silence her. "It's alright, shorty. Why don't you take the princess into her daddy and then come back out here and tell me whatever you need to."

She nodded meekly, knowing that Leon's word was practically law when he used that tone and gave him one last fleeting look before moving down the hall.

Pushing the bedroom door open, she stopped and just stared at her sleeping husband. Even in sleep he looked troubled, his brow creased ever so slightly

Aurora fussed, her eyes firmly fixed on Vince. Tala looked from her daughter to her husband, smiling. "You want your daddy?" the little girl's arms waved excitedly with each step closer that they got to the bed. Tala knew instantly that once she was old enough to walk, Rory would be creeping in to curl up with Vince no matter what. Her hand reached out to shake Vince slightly.

"Baby? Baby, someone's here for you."

Vince groaned, but managed to squint his eyes open just a touch. "Who?"

"Here."

He sighed contently as she placed Aurora on his chest, then slipped the sheet up over the both of them. His left arm came up to curl around her tiny form, holding her securely against him as he started to drop off again, Rory quickly following suit, lulled by his heartbeat. Tala was too scared to sleep with her like that, but once Vince was out, he didn't move until he woke up again. More often then not she would find the pair on the couch napping in that position.

There was a quiet tapping at the door and she turned to see Leon. He motioned silently toward the living room then disappeared. She quickly tugged on some clothes, then draped Vince's robe over top again.

Coming back into the living room, she noticed he had straightened everything out, righting the furniture and replacing the photo frame back on the mantle, sans glass of course.

He looked at her from the couch.

"Come sit, Sis."

The endearment rolled right off his tongue, sounding as natural as him calling Vince 'V'. Tala felt that burn start to build up in her chest again as she crawled onto the couch beside him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"He's in so much pain." She whispered, fighting not to break down again. She had managed to remain composed for Vince, even as he completely lost it, but there was something about the way Leon was looking right through her at that moment that made it so much more difficult.

His arm curled around her. He cleared his throat. "Letty yells at me for repressing, you know." He said softly, "She says that I'm going to hurt myself."

Tala looked up at him and noticed he was staring at the far wall. "You will one day." His smile did nothing to ease her concerns.

"I already have, Tala. But not as much as Vince." He looked down at her. "He's been holing that up inside for years. So many years that it seems incomprehensible."

She blinked at him. "Leon.. That was a six syllable word."

He chuckled. "Don't you dare tell anyone that I'm capable of intelligent thought." He threatened playfully, eyes softening. "What I'm trying to say is… He's been silent about it for so long that it's eaten a hole in him, Tal. Vince is a mess. A great big mess, and he's going to need you. He's convinced himself that you're disgusted already."

"It wasn't **_his_** fault!"

Leon rubbed her arm slightly to calm her. "I know that, you know that… I think he's _beginning_ to realise that. But for now he needs to know that you're there. Don't pull away from him, don't shy away from touching him now that you know what's happened.."

Tala faltered slightly, giving him a nervous look. "But what if he pulls away from me?"

Leon shook his head. "He wont do that. Haven't you noticed how he goes out of his way to stay near you when we're out? I honestly don't think he would have made it this far without you."

Tala reddened, avoiding looking at him. "You give me too much credit."

Leon unwrapped his arm from around her and leaned forward. "You don't give yourself enough." He corrected, smiling slightly. "It gets worse, Tal."

"Worse? Worse how?" She sat up, knees tucked up underneath her chin.

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Dominic has been looking for us. As of now, I don't think he's in town, but he's lookin."

Tala's head dropped back against the couch, eyes closed. "Jesus, Le. What is there, an asshole convention in town or something?"

He snorted, dropping his head to his knees. "That's a fairly wise bet, shorty." He tensed a little. "I don't think it's the right time to tell Vince. Give it a few days, maybe a week. Then we can tell him."

She nodded. "Im interested in giving that Mia a talking to actually. You think she'll be with him?"

"Undoubtedly. She's like a fucking bad smell. She just clings to him." Leon lifted his head slightly, smirking. "She wont be counting on you, you know. She'll come back and expect Vince to worship the ground she walks on."

With a giggle, Tala nudged him with her foot. "Vince only worships one thing, and it **aint** the ground **she** walks on."

He choked on his laughter, "Well isn't she going to get a rude shock then. So is Dom if I do my thing right."

Tala uncurled her legs, a bemused grin starting to form on her face. "Leon… Why are you smiling like that?" She could see him becoming fidgety, his fingers twisting nervously.

"Now's not really the time for it." He said hurriedly. He was almost bursting trying to keep quiet.

Tala grinned, nudging him. "Leon.. Tell me."

He looked back over his shoulder at her, biting his lip. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Honey, if it's got you this excited it must be important."

He rubbed the back of his neck, rolling his shoulders. "Letty and I are going to start trying to have a baby."

Stunned, Tala's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? You **finally** convinced her!"

"I'm not exactly sure _what_ convinced her. All I know is that last night she wasn't interested, this morning she was." He trembled with barely restrained excitement. "Is it wrong for me to be so happy?"

"Of course not! You guys love each other – why wouldn't you start a family together?"

He turned to face her properly, picking up a cushion to occupy his hands so he didn't start gesticulating wildly like he did when he was over stimulated.

"See, I love her and I want a baby with her – but I'm not really interested in marriage yet."

Tala shrugged. "So don't marry her yet." She pat his trembling hands. "Concentrate on the baby thing first if that's what you both want."

He nodded furiously. "It is!"

She grinned at his exuberance. "Then explain to me why you're still here and Letty is at home I presume? Alone."

He stood up. "Actually, she's at work." He rubbed his hands together nervously. "I was thinking of going and stealing her."

Tala jumped up from the couch, giggling madly. "Brilliant idea!" She took his hands, "Go in there, claim her and take her home."

He stifled his laughter. "Throw a caveman, huh?"

She leaned up on tip toes, pecking him on the lips quickly. "Of course. It's such a turn on when a sexy guy goes all brutish on a girl. Go on, go make a baby." She grinned into his shoulder as he swept her into a hug, then waved as he darted out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him. Tala shook her head, trying not to laugh. A throat cleared behind her and she spun around, seeing Vince leaning against the wall with a naked Aurora against his chest.

"Did you just tell him to go and make a baby?"

Tala nodded. "Letty finally caved. Looks like Le's getting his dream after all."

Vince shook his head, nuzzling Rory's head. "We're having a shower. You wanna join us?"

She looked at him, his pants hanging low on his hips, their daughter pressed so close to his heart, eyes still hazed from the drugs she'd given him and almost melted. Leon's words echoed in her head. _"Don't pull away from him.."_

He shifted self consciously, rubbing Aurora's back. "Firefly?"

She waved him toward the bathroom. "I'll be in in a minute, big guy." She told him with a small smile. "I'll just get some stuff ready for Rory so she doesn't get cold afterwards."

He nodded, carefully shifting their small child with his good arm, his right arm oddly lame. Tala's face immediately darkened and she rushed toward him.

"Vince.."

He winced as he fingers prodded the swollen flesh. "It's alright, firefly. It doesn't really hurt."

"You're a shitty liar, Vincent."

He nodded. "I am."

She pressed her cheek against his chest so she was face to face with Aurora. Tiny fingers grabbed her nose and Tala beamed at her daughter. Her eyes rolled up to look at Vince, watching her so intently.

"You ok, big guy?

He stared at her silently for a moment. "… No."

Tala eased Aurora into her arms and balanced her on one hip, then took Vince's hand in hers. She grinned down at Rory, fussing against her and brought Vince's hand up to kiss his scarred knuckles.

"Let's go get daddy all better."


	29. Heaven's Hard To See When Your Eyes Are ...

**A/N: Hey all, so this is me wishing writers block was a physical entity so I could kick the crap out of it. This fic's been kicking my ass all week, so I hope this is ok for you guys. As always thankyou for the reviews.**

**P.s. Last chapter i told y'all to go and read a fic called "Moving On".. i forgot the authors name. It's by 'buggleywoo'. That's right - I am an idiot.**

**Song for the chapter is "Here We Go Again" by Operator.**

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**Leon leant against the doorframe, wiping the grease from his hands. He had been helping out with assembly and repairs on the bikes while business had slowed down a little. He had far less jobs to work on as of late and seeing as he was a mechanic, Marcus put him to work with the rest of the guys. He grinned at the picture in front of him. 

Vince was sitting behind his desk with Aurora held against his chest, the little girl resting snugly and securely in a harness. It was a rare event indeed that she came to work with Vince, but seeing as Tala was working day shift at the moment Vince was left with care duties.

"You couldn't leave her with the neighbour?" Leon asked casually, walking further into the room. Vince glanced up at him from beneath his brows.

"She's teething." He muttered, scrunching up a piece of paper. "Mrs Willard is sick anyhow."

Leon scratched at his chin, unused to the smooth feel of skin beneath his fingers. For a change he had actually shaved that morning, though it had been a nervous affair. He touched the skin lightly, tracing over the faded scars on the underside of his jaw. It had been a long time since he'd been clean shaven – since he was still a teenager in fact.

Vince noticed and stopped what he was doing. "You ok?" His eyes darkened with worry, expression unreadable.

He nodded, heaving a sigh as he threw himself into the office chair in front of the desk. "Does Marcus know she's here? I'm not sure how that works with O.H.S."

Vince stroked Rory's head tenderly, pressing a kiss to her hand. "I called and asked first. As long as she doesn't get taken out into the workshop she's fine. She can stay in the offices no problems."

Leon chuckled. "You're expecting a lot of traffic today aren't you. She's got fifteen surrogate uncles out there and one hell of a pseudo grandfather."

Nodding proudly, "And there's nowhere safer in the world for her."

Leon studied his brother and niece. "I dunno, V - She looks as safe as she's ever going to be right now."

Vince's expression softened at Leon's words. "Thanks, Le." He said quietly, looking down at her. He looked back up. "What's up? What do you need?"

He wasn't quite sure how to tell him about Dom sniffing around yet, but he knew it had to be done. The longer he waited to tell him, the angrier Vince would be that he kept it from him when he finally found out.

"There's something I need to tell you – now you can't get shitty at me for not telling you sooner." He pointed at him for emphasis and Vince nodded.

"Is Letty pregnant?" He asked innocently. They had been trying for a month now.

Leon shook his head tiredly and his shoulders slumped. "No, she aint pregnant, V." he scratched his brow, "I think I might be doin somethin wrong."

Vince laughed, shaking his head as he shuffled through the mess on his desk. For someone who answered phones and did filing, he sure had a lot of crap on his desk. It was odd, considering how much of a neat freak he was. Fatherhood had mellowed him.

"You're not doing anything wrong, Leon. As long as you've got the basic ideas – wait.. You **are** doing it the right way aren't you? None of that-"

"**Vince**! Finish that thought and I'm introducing your head to a circular sander!"

Vince smirked, gently stroking Rory's head as she whimpered in discomfort. "Only checking, Le."

Leon glowered at him. "You're a prick." His annoyance deflated at Vince's proud smile. "Alright, alright.. I didn't come in here to tell you that I can't get Letty pregnant."

Vince gave him a thoughtful look. "Have you tried with her on top?"

"Yeah we – VINCE!" Leon could feel his cheeks redden and kicked the desk, frustrated. "Stop that!"

The older man gave him an innocent look, then his face broke out into a wide smile. "Sorry, Le."

Leon slouched lower in the chair, pressing his feet against the edge of the desk top. "Ass." He grumbled.

Vince smiled softly, snatching the ringing phone up. Leon watched for a minute or two, brotherly pride swelling in his chest as he watched Vince carefully write out an order for some parts. He was almost perfect with his writing now, left handed and fully legible.

Vince hung up the phone and got up to put the order he'd just written into the pile of paperwork to go to Marcus' office upstairs.

"I already know, Le."

Leon's feet slipped from the desk and he sat up. "You do?"

Vince nodded, easing himself back down into his seat smoothly, as not to disturb Rory's rest. "I heard you and Tal a while back. I was in the hall getting towels." He leaned back, rubbing circles over the grumpy infant's back.

Leon's mouth opened to speak, but no words came out. Finally, "Why didn't you mention something?"

"And say what, Le?" His face took on a bored expression. "I could care less that they're looking for us. I don't need them, I don't want to be near them – so why bother?"

Apprehension started to settle over Leon. Vince was taking this entirely too well. Sure fatherhood had mellowed him, but not this much. He still had a temper to rival a category five hurricane even if it didn't make an appearance as frequently as it used to.

Vince seemed to notice and he sighed. "Look, Le. I'm happy now. I have a great family, I have a great job and I've never been happier. There's no way I'm fucking this up by getting myself involved with them again. The further away they are from me, the better."

Leon rose slowly, nodding. "You're not angry we didn't tell you?"

"Oh I've been wondering when one of you were going to tell me – but I understand why you didn't. Thank you."

Unease filled Leon, though he did his best to mask it. Vince was entirely too calm. **Way** too calm.

"Uh, yeah. No problem." He started to walk out, "I'm gunna get back to work."

Vince nodded, head already down and perusing his work.

Leon gave himself a slight shake once he was free of the office and shook his head ever so slightly. "The shit is going to hit the fucking fan..." He muttered to himself, then pushed the door open to go back out into the workshop.

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Vince backed Tala into the wall, his mouth slanted over hers as his fingers tugged at her shirt. They had just dropped Aurora off at Marcus' place for the night. Letty and Leon had finally talked both into going to the races with them later that evening, but until then… 

He tore his mouth away from hers, leaning back to look at her. Her lips were swollen, cheeks flushed and her hair was a mess. She looked thoroughly accosted. He lifted a hand to touch her face, pressing his body closer to hers.

"Are you sure you want to go tonight?" his fingers traced over her bottom lip and he gasped quietly as her tongue darted out to lick them.

Tala grinned up at him, nipping at his fingertips. "I want to go, Vince. I want to see how you used to live before we met."

His face lost some of it's warmth. "Firefly, I'm not that man any more. I want you to know that." He was desperate for her to understand that fact. He wasn't the Coyote of team Toretto any more. He had many regrets in his life. Many, many regrets, and most of them he had accumulated during that period of time. He had been young, angry and incredibly stupid. So, so stupid. His arm was the biggest reminder of that.

Tala's hands stroked his sides, calming him. "Vince I don't care who you were then, I just want to see. From what Letty's been saying I'm going to have to keep the women at bay with a stock whip."

He flushed. "It's not that bad, firefly. They were more interested in Dom than me."

She frowned, pushing him backward onto the couch before climbing into his lap. "I've seen pictures of this Dom guy, Vince," she straddled him, running her fingers through his hair, "-and you are ten times sexier than that man. I don't know how a woman could be attracted to a man with bigger breasts than her own." Her nose screwed up in disgust. "You are **much** sexier."

His brows lifted. "Sexier? So you **do** think he's sexy!"

She spluttered. "I did not say that! I said the man's got big boobs!"

He fought a grin, enjoying making her so flustered. "You said sexier! Therefore you think he's marginally sexy!"

"Oh for the love of-" she rolled her eyes and brought his hands up to cup her breasts, instantly garnering his attention. "Vincent, you are the only man who I would ever let touch these. You are so fucking sexy that half the time it's a struggle not to hand Rory to someone and just accost you right there in front of everyone!"

He snorted, trying not to laugh, but at the same time was touched by her words.

"You remember that night you met my parents?"

Vince shuddered at the memory. "Clearly." He flexed his fingers slightly, grinning when she gasped. He blinked at her innocently. "You're the one holding my hands there!"

She smirked. "Anyway! That night – I damn near wanted to rape you three times. Right there on the island counter between the pastry deserts and my Aunt Jules!"

Vince grinned. "Those were some good pastries."

Tala let go of his hands and clipped him upside the head. "I tell you I wanted to rape you and you comment on the **_pastries_**!"

He erupted into a fit of shocked laughter, rubbing his head where she'd hit him. "Well they were!" He exclaimed, sobering at her pout. "Now come on baby, you know I'm flattered that you would make love to me in front of your aunt."

"Make love? Baby that wouldn't have been making love.. I would have ravaged your ass." She slid backward, steeling herself against his suddenly intense gaze. "But you can forget that now. You laughed at me."

Vince growled low in his chest. "Tala.." he called after her dangerously.

She flipped him off, padding down the hall. "Nope. Forget it, Vincent." She glanced back over her shoulder and let out a girly squeal, taking off running when she saw Vince hot on her heels. She had only gotten three steps and she felt his arm hook around her waist and pull her back against him, a whimper escaping her when she felt his hard length pressed firmly against her ass.

His hot breath puffed against her ear and his beard scraped at her jaw. "Don't you tease me, woman." He growled lowly.

Tala's head fell back against his shoulder and she looked up at him. His eyes were dark, that familiar sparkle in them that she saw every time he was inside her. A sudden swell of emotion washed over her and her eyes glassed up, turning in his embrace to face him.

"I love you, V."

He bent to capture her lips in a kiss that left her breathless, backing her into the bedroom. "Show me then."


	30. Anger and Lies

**A/N: kicks the damn computer So here it is. The next chapter for y'all. Enjoy!**

**BTW, i got a review from a person calling themself 'lost' last chapter. If you're reading this 'lost', could you elaborate on what you meant? It confused the hell outta me.**

**Song for the chapter is "Falling Down" by Staind.**

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**Vince adjusted the sleeve of his sweater, checking to make sure it was hanging down over his knuckles. It was far from normal race attire, but his scars were a personal thing, just like Le's were to him. If he wanted no one to see them then that was his prerogative. 

Upon arrival, the crowd had swelled to almost ridiculous proportions. After all, it had been almost two years since Vince had made an appearance in the racing community. Leon and Letty went every now and then, just to catch up.

The pride he's seen on Tala's face when he had calmly navigated his way back to where Hector was had floored him. He knew she was proud of him for picking himself up off the floor so many times over the years, but to see her show it so publicly had blown him away. It was all he could do not to sweep her up into his arms right there and kiss her until she had no more air left in her lungs. What she didn't realise was the fact that it was her hand intertwined with his that had kept him sane. Vince just knew that if he had tried to face those people alone he wouldn't have made it so far.

Once he was sure none of his scars were showing, he reached back down to take Tala's hand again.

"So - What do you think?"

She was looking around in wide eyed wonder. "This is insane, Vince." Her fingers laced between his as she stood on her tip toes to see. "Look at all these people!"

He looked around and nodded warily. "Yeah – yeah I see 'em, firefly." He glanced down at their joined hands, feeling her fingers tighten. Her eyes caught his.

"If you want to leave – you tell me straight away."

He gave her a solitary nod, tugging her closer so he could enfold her against his chest. Peering around over her head, he searched for Leon.

"Little bastard always does this," he muttered, "we go somewhere and he disappears."

Tala's hands traced circles over the small of his back just above the waist of his jeans. "He's with Letty."

"How do you know that?"

She pinched him, hard enough to make him flinch. "She's wearing that hot little dress, V. Of course he's with her or very close to her."

Vince grinned knowingly. "You're probably right." He looked thoughtful, "Maybe we should go look for them?" he suggested innocently. Tala started to laugh.

"That's the last time you get sex right before we go somewhere – you're incorrigible."

He bent to kiss her playfully, "That's one of the reason's you love me." He quipped.

"One of the many, yes." She snuggled into his waist, her chest securely pinned against his by his upper arm. "Vince? Why are those women glaring at me?" She asked quietly, avoiding eye contact with the scantily clad women.

Vince's head turned to look at them and Tala heard them all start to giggle and make lewd suggestions to him. He stroked her back when he felt her stiffen and lifted her chin to look at him.

"Ignore them, firefly." He assured her just as quiet, "They're the skanks Letty was telling you about on the way over."

Tala nuzzled the spot over his heart then lay her ear against his chest. She closed her eyes and listened to his heart beat. It was strong and steady, tickling her cheek. "Mm... I know why Rory likes laying on you like this now." She heard his heartbeat speed up at the mention of their daughter and grinned. He really adored her.

"Well she's-" he paused, "Oh fuck me." He snarled. His hold on her tightened momentarily then he took a step back. "Dom's here."

Tala's head spun around quickly, searching for the big bald man. Fortunately she saw Leon and Letty coming toward her first.

"Leon!"

He nodded, sighing. "Yeah – I saw." He looked at Letty, the woman oddly quiet. "I saw him."

Letty's hand was tightly gripping Leon's, unwilling to release him. She gave Tala a warm smile when she took her other one, stepping a little closer to her best friend. Letty mouthed 'thank you' to her just as she heard Dom's deep baritone and the familiar whine of Mia's voice.

"Hey guys."

There was a unanimous silence from all four, then Vince gave Tala a nudge in Hector's direction. He didn't want her in the middle of things. Reluctantly she let go of Letty's hand and slipped past Vince, walking straight into Hector's outstretched arms.

Mia smiled up at Vince, looking him over. "You're looking well, Vince." She made a vague motion to his arm. "How's the arm?"

He gave her a look of stunned disbelief. "Excuse me?" He looked at Leon. "Did she just-"

Leon nodded. "Yeah, V – she did."

Dom looked from one to the other and shrugged. The two had always communicated in fragmented sentences like that. His eyes settled on Letty and he gave her his best 'come here so I can ravage you' smile. It slowly faded when she ignored it.

"Let? What's wrong?"

She glared at Dom, almost trembling. Standing in front of her was the man she was with for all those years – beside her was the man she _should_ have been with all those years. Leon had treated her so much better in the short amount of time they had been together than Dom had ever treated her. She knew where her heart lay – with Leon. Letty took a step back.

Dom reached out to grab Letty's elbow, doing his damnedest to ignore the crowd watching them. "Come on, Letty. I love you."

Letty snorted, glaring at him as she pulled even further away from him. "You may love me Dom, but you were never **in love** with me! You treated me like you owned me. You're a pathetic, pathetic excuse for a man."

A dark glare replaced the pleading look he was giving her. "So who are you fucking now then? You think you've found yourself a real man?" he laughed arrogantly, "Come on, Let. Don't be stupid. You're making a fool of yourself in front of all these people." He made to grab her elbow again. When his hand fell short of her, he barked her name, irritated.

"You're really starting to piss me off, Letty!"

There was a hushed murmur that floated over the crowd and Letty smirked. "Don't be stupid, Dom. You're making a fool of yourself in front of all these people."

He growled angrily and started toward her but stopped short when both Vince and Leon stepped in front of her. He glowered at them but neither man moved. Vince's face was a mask of blithe indifference and Leon's… Dom had never seen that look on Leon's face before. He looked about ready to tear him apart with his bare hands.

Dom growled. "Get out of my way."

Leon shook his head. "You go near my girl and I'm going to string you up in front of everyone here."

Rage coloured Dom's vision red. "**YOU**?" he looked past the two imposing men to Letty, then pointed at Leon. "You're fucking _him?_" He glared at Leon, jabbing his finger into his chest. "I thought I told you to keep your ass away from my woman!"

"She's not your woman and she never was! You turned her into a fucking trophy!" Vince snarled in Leon's defence. He ignored the stunned look on Dom's face. "I should have encouraged him to go after her years ago!"

Leon looked up to Vince, shocked. "You knew?"

Vince snorted, rolling his eyes. "Of course I fucking knew. I'm your big brother Leon, not an idiot."

Dom shook his head at them, "Wait, wait – You two are brothers!" He looked from one to the other, "No. No that's impossible."

Vince glanced at Leon. "You hear that? Our parents didn't have sex after all!"

Leon pulled a face. "Well that's a relief – mentally scarring thoughts right there."

From behind them Letty's laughter reached all three of the large men and they all turned to look at her in unison. She was sprawled backward across the hood of the Skyline laughing like a lunatic.

Leon's brow quirked. "Baby? You drunk or something?"

Letty sat up slightly, still giggling. "Can't drink. Pregnant."

Dom's roar of anger silenced the chattering crowd. "You're **_what?_**"

Leon spun around on his heel, eyes wide. "You're what?" he asked, part in shock, part ready to scream with happiness. Letty beamed at him, sitting up properly now. Her hand touched her flat stomach and when she spoke her voice was whisper soft – elated even.

"We're going to have a baby, Le."

Ever one to break the mood, Dom spluttered indignantly. "You never wanted kids, Letty! What did you do – forget to take your pill?" he mocked, still glaring at Leon.

Letty's happy glow dimmed. "Actually I threw them out when we decided we wanted a baby!" There were hoots and congratulatory calls from the crowd, making Leon flush slightly. Letty smiled at the reactions then went on. "Anyway, Dom – I always wanted children! _Always_! You were just too wrapped up in your own wants and needs to see what I really wanted!"

He huffed, trying to push past Leon. The air whooshed out of his lungs when Leon rammed him in the sternum with his shoulder, knocking him back a few steps. He glared at him, then looked over Leon's shoulder at Letty.

"If you wanted the fucking things so much why didn't you say anything then?"

She glared, pointing at him. "That's why! Because I knew that if you couldn't be a real man you wouldn't be a good father! I wanted kids Dom," she smirked, "-just not with you."

"But you'll have them with _him_!" He looked Leon up and down. "He's not a real man, Letty. Leon's just a child." He spat arrogantly.

Leon went to open his mouth when Letty started to chuckle. It was that low, sexy laugh that drove him wild.

"He may be a child to you, Dom – but he's **_twice_** the man you ever were. At least I don't have to fake it with him."

The crowd erupted into a roar of laughter and jeers and Dom's face started to turn purple with anger and humiliation. With a bellow Dom threw himself at Leon and it was on. Fists were flying and for the first time in over seven years, Leon was allowed to actually to fight back.

All the anger he felt towards Dom – the trucks, Jesse, the way he had treated Letty over the years – it all festered and boiled up to the surface. Dom had done his best to ruin him professionally. Sure he took him on, but he would avoid giving him work as much as possible. If a customer could be talked out of hand painted graphics on their car and pushed toward decals, it was done. Not only was it more financially lucrative for Dom that way, but he also escaped paying Leon the commission for the work that was done. It was always under duress that he would give him a job like that. The reason, you may wonder?

Dom had known that Leon was interested to some extent in Letty and had immediately set about discouraging him from pursuing her. He had known that if Leon managed to work his way into Letty's heart that she would leave him in an instant, so he had taken the coward's way out and threatened him. He had threatened an eighteen year old boy.

Not one to be left out, Mia pointed at Letty. "You crazy slut! What – are you sleeping with Vince too?" She yelled, her face turning red with anger.

"Actually," came a sweet voice off to her left, "-that would be my job!"

Mia staggered, crying out as she felt a fist slam into her cheek. Her fingers immediately went to the spot that was hurting the most and came away with blood on them. She'd been busted open. She turned, slack jawed, to look at whoever had hit her. A woman, around five feet tall maybe stood there with a smug grin on her face. She had been standing by Vince and Letty just a while ago.

"Hey, Let!" She called, "You were right! Hitting the bitch did feel good!"

Mia glared at her, stunned. "And who the hell are **you?**"

Vince cleared his throat, smothering his laughter with his hand. "Tala, this is Mia. Mia," his arm draped around the woman and he pecked her on the temple, "- this is my wife, Tala."

Mia looked at both of their hands in outrage, seeing the matching bands their fingers as well as **the **ring. The ring that Vince inherited off his grandmother that was supposed to go on **her** finger.

"Your **WIFE**!"

The scuffling from Dom and Leon's fight quieted and Dom's voice rung out across the eerily quiet crowd. "Your wife.. What the hell?" He grunted angrily. "What the hell is going on around here! We come back and everyone's gone fucking mad!"

Leon spat out a mouthful of blood, glaring at him. He was pleased to see that he had gotten in a few good hits, enough to split Dom's lip and just above his eyebrow. The bigger man was blinking rapidly from blood in his eye.

"Did you honestly think we would wait around for two years just for **_you_**? Are you that fucking deluded?" He snarled, eyes blazing. "You lied to us Dominic! You told Letty and I that Jesse was ok!" The last was shouted. "Well he's **not **ok, Dom! Jesse's dead and nobody knows where his body is!"

Letty's hand touched Leon's arm. "Le, it's alright. Forget him."

He looked down at her and gently urged her back toward the car. "No it's not. He lied to us, Let." He looked back at Dominic who was now shrinking slightly under the eyes of the crowd. "You told us that Jesse was fine, that he was kickin back with Vince. You kept us from our family!"

Feeling the pressure, Dom tried to save face and reason with him. "Now Leon, why don't we just figure this shit out, and we can all go back to normal." He raised his hands in a non threatening manner, "You can all move back in, we can get Letty an abortion-"

A feral growl bubbled up from Leon's chest and he launched himself on Dom, drowning out Letty's cry of outrage. There was a collective scream from a group of nearby women as Dom and Leon went crashing into them. The sick thuds of fists hitting skin were loud and clear.

Vince and Hector both took off running along with three other guys to try to break up the fight. Only able to use one arm without hurting himself, Vince wrapped his left arm around Leon's neck and pulled, dragging him backward. The younger man gagged and choked, but fought to get back at Dominic. Vince's arm slipped slightly and his watch caught the skin beneath Leon's jaw. Instantly he fell quiet and limp, allowing Vince to drag him backward.

"Not my neck.. Don't touch my neck." He mumbled, clawing at Vince's arm.

Vince immediately relocated his grip to Leon's waist. "I'm sorry," he muttered, "I forgot." He dragged him a little further back and both stopped to look at the scene in front of them.

Dom was on the ground, bleeding but still trying to get up. He would make it a step or so before tumbling back to the tar. Nobody bothered holding him back any more. Dom was done.

"You come near us again," Vince started, "- and there'll be hell to pay."


	31. Scars

**A/N: Here's another chapter for you, people. As always, thankyou for all the wonderful feedback you've been giving me - it really means alot to see that you appreciate what I do. Anyway, on with the fic!**

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**"Leon – stop that! Le – will you sit still?" Letty sighed heavily, fighting to get to his head. He was having none of it, his hands constantly seeking out her stomach, his head ducking down to drop errant kisses across the smooth skin that peeked out from below her tank top. Blood oozed sluggishly from a cut above his eyebrow still, but he wasn't letting her near it. He was still too fascinated by the concept of his child being tucked away inside her. 

Unable to stay angry at him, Letty threw her head back and laughed when he blew a raspberry on her stomach.

"Leon!" She squealed, jumping away from him. His hands followed her, the sparkle in his eye brighter than she'd ever seen it. The only way to describe his reaction to her being pregnant was overjoyed.

He smiled, reaching for her. "Alright, alright. I'll be good."

Letty grinned, stepping closer again. This time he kept his hands out of the way, simply holding onto her hips and staring straight ahead at her naval.

"Would it be here?" he brushed his thumb over her belly button. Letty took his hand and slid it lower over her pelvis and then went back to cleaning up the cut on his head.

He waited until she had fastened the cut with a couple of butterfly bandaids and had wiped his face clean of any blood before he leaned forward and pressed an open mouthed kiss over her skin.

She felt him mouth the words 'I love you' over her belly and tears pricked at her eyes. Her hands tangled in his hair as his nimble fingers turned the hem of her top up to rest over her ribs. When his face pressed against her abdomen, Letty almost slid to her knees. She could feel the love radiating off him in waves. She gave the shoulder of his shirt a tug and started to walk backward.

"Come to bed, baby."

He stood slowly, carefully. His head ached like nobody's business. "My head, Let.."

She nodded, taking his hand and elbow firmly. "I've got you, Le. I'm not gunna let you go down."

His nose crinkled adorably, confused. "But I like going down.."

"If you weren't concussed, Leon Michael – I'd give you a good beating."

He grinned, tripping over the rug. "You can still do it if you like."

Letty started to giggle at his boyish tone, leading him along the landing to the bedroom. She steadied him a few more times then sat him down on the edge of the bed to take his clothes off.

"You wouldn't be able to handle me right now, Le." She unbuttoned the collar of his shirt and tugged it over his head. He blinked at her dolefully. Letty's heart jumped into her throat at that look. "What's the matter?"

He rubbed his throat, looking down. "Nothing. Just tired." His fingers carefully unbuckled his belt and the fly of his jeans, then he held his hands out for her to help him up.

Letty did so willingly, hiding her surprise at him openly asking for her help. Her hand curled around his back, stroking his warm skin gently. She could see the discolouration in some places from where Dom's meaty fists had landed, the skin darker already. Some of the patches were slightly swollen.

"Do your ribs hurt, Le?"

He nodded against her shoulder, listlessly kicking his jeans off. He was so quiet.

"Sweetheart – I might just strap you up before you lay down, alright?" She sat him back down and bent to pick up his jeans. "I'll be right back."

He nodded, rubbing his side.

Walking back down the hall to the bathroom, Letty dumped Leon's jeans in the laundry chute as she passed it, then padded into the brightly lit room. The bandages were easy enough to find as they had kept a few extras around after Vince's accident before Rory was born. Grabbing up a couple of them, she walked back down to the bedroom and stopped in the doorway.

Leon was laying on his side with his back to her, feet still on the floor, hugging his ribs. Rolling her eyes Letty crawled across the bed, her free hand reaching out to touch his back. She stopped short, leaning in a little closer.

"What the.." she ran her fingers over a slightly raised spot on his flank. She had never noticed that before. Her eyes narrowed. Looking closer there were more of the little marks, some minuscule, some a little larger, quarter of an inch maybe. Her hand smoothed over the area, not feeling anything out of the ordinary. They were obviously scars but judging by how invisible they were unless you were right on him, they were old. Looking down at him, Letty couldn't help but wonder what he could have done to get them.

He stirred under her touch, eyes blinking open just a touch. "Teesh?"

Letty smiled. He was the only one who called her by that name until Rory was old enough to speak. She kissed his jaw just below his ear. "I need you to sit up for me, Le."

He did as he was told, slowly pushing himself upright. Once he was vertical, he blinked at her. His arms automatically lifted slightly and it was then she knew he had done this before.

"Baby?"

He gave her a look that implored her to go on.

"Where did those come from?" she ran a finger over his side, over the scars. She could feel the muscles beneath his skin twitch and flutter underneath her hands.

"I fell into a cabinet when I was younger." He said softly, watching her reach around him. He winced almost inaudibly at the pressure on his tender ribs. Five minutes later he was all strapped up and he allowed Letty to ease him back onto the bed. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist.

"I'm sorry for everything, Let."

Letty worked his fingers loose and crawled up to sit by his head, pulling him into her lap. Her legs wrapped around his sides and her feet rested on his chest. Leon's hands came up to stroke her ankles, his head resting against her belly.

"None of tonight was your fault Leon, so don't you apologise for that pig." Her tone darkened when she thought of Dominic. _How dare he suggest I get rid of my baby!_ Her thumbs stroked circles over Leon's temples.

He groaned, nestling back into her. "I love you, Let." He mumbled, eyes drooping shut. "Always have.."

Battling her tears, Letty bent to kiss his forehead. "You know – I think I always loved you too."

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Beside her, Vince was tossing and turning, murmuring under his breath in his sleep. Tala ran a soothing hand down his side and he calmed, the only sign of his bad dreams that remained being the crease across his forehead. She ran her fingers over it, whispering to him. She pulled her hand away a short while after he fell quiet and started to drift back to sleep. That's when the screaming started. 

She had never heard a scream filled with so much terror before. Vince was sitting up, eyes wide open and screaming, but he was still asleep. He started rambling, something about a truck and dying.

"Vince?" She knelt beside him, gingerly touching his shoulder. He turned toward her but stared right through her, unseeing. He was shaking, his face wet from tears and his breath hitched in his chest. "Shh.. It's alright. Come on baby, come back to me." She cooed in his ear, holding his head close to her heart. In sleep, he tried to move his bad arm toward her. Pain immediately registered on his face and he cried out.

"He left me there.." he whimpered against her, still sleeping. "Didn't care.. Truck.. It burns."

Tala stroked his neck, cuddling him to her. Vaguely, she recalled him having a minor burn on his back from resting so close to the speeding tyre, the heat it produced scalding his back. It had healed fairly quickly compared to the rest of his injuries and the scar had faded away long ago. The only lingering hint that there was ever any damage to his back was the slightest discolouration on his right shoulder blade, only visible during the cooler months when his tan faded.

Her hand brushed over the spot, gently stroking the perfect skin there. "Baby wake up," she said firmly against his ear, rocking him slightly. He had been having nightmares for the past eight nights, ever since Dom had shown up at the races.

He didn't wake, but instead calmed, nestling closer to her. Tala rolled her eyes heavenward, mouthing 'thankyou'. In the other room Aurora started to cry. Vince's screams had woken her no doubt.

In an instant Vince was on his feet before he was even awake. He blinked when he realised he was standing up.

"What-?" his head cocked to the side and he nodded to himself, shuffling out the bedroom door. Tala grinned. He still hadn't noticed she was already awake. He was like that when it came to Rory. If he could see to her himself he was more than happy to, in fact he often rushed off before Tala had the chance to even contemplate standing up. At first it had annoyed her having to fight with him to hold her own baby – but then she realised what he was doing. Vince was desperately afraid of screwing up and did everything he could to keep from doing so.

She smiled at him as he walked back in, Aurora snuggled against his chest, her head tucked beneath his chin. Vince climbed back into bed, gently easing the little girl into the gap between himself and Tala.

Tala stroked Aurora's arm first, then Vince's face. "You were having a nightmare."

He frowned. "I was?"

She nodded. "How long, Vince?" she demanded gently, laying on her side and facing him. Rory lay between them, oblivious to the tension in the air.

"I don't know what you-"

"I **will** take her to my mothers." Tala knew it wasn't just a random event. He had been way too restless lately to be sleeping normally.

Vince's denial died on his tongue. "A month." He ran the pad of his thumb over Rory's tiny palm. "I didn't want you to worry."

Tala curled around Rory and against him, loving the weight of his arm draped over her side. There was a time when he couldn't even contemplate throwing his right arm over her or wrapping her in a proper hug. Now that he could he did it as much as possible, always touching her in some way or fashion. She beckoned him closer with a curl of the finger. She brushed her nose to his in an eskimo kiss.

"It's my wifely duty to worry about your well being, Vincent."

He had the grace to look ashamed for not telling her and he fell quiet. Perspiration still edged his hair, beading on his skin in tiny little droplets. Tala's fingers ran through his thick hair, effectively relaxing him to the point of dozing. He was just about asleep when there was a knock at the door. His eyes popped open instantly and he lifted himself to his shoulder.

"Who would come here at three in the morning?" he asked quietly, his voice nothing more than a low, soft murmur.

Tala urged him back onto his side and sat up, reaching for her robe. She didn't think answering the door naked would be a good idea. She could feel Vince's eyes burning into her as she pulled the dark green silk over her skin and knotted the belt around her waist. She looked back over her shoulder at him only to find him watching her hungrily. He gazed at her so intently that she felt as though she were the only woman alive.

His expression was soft when he spoke. "I don't want you answering that door without knowing who's out there. Remember to-"

"Baby, go back to sleep. Look, Rory's got the right idea." She nodded toward the sleeping five month old cuddled into her daddy's chest, her tiny hand loosely fisted and pressed to his skin.

Vince looked down at her, the barest of smiles coming to his lips. He nodded mutely and relaxed back into the bedding, tugging the blankets up to his waist.

Tala rolled her eyes when there was another knock, a little heavier this time. As she neared the door, "Who's there?"

There was some muffled sound. "Police Ma'am." A voice called back politely. She leaned forward and looked through the peephole, then satisfied they were telling the truth she unhooked the chain on the door and unlocked it, righting her robe before she opened the door.

She looked up at the two officers, curious. "Can I help you?" Worry started to gnaw at her. Had Leon or Letty had an accident? Her parents?

The first officer nodded lightly. "Sorry to intrude, Ma'am, but we got reports of a man's screaming coming from this address."

A sigh of relief whooshed out of Tala's lungs and her hand pressed to her chest, her heartbeat rapid beneath her fingers.

"That was my husband." She told them politely. At their curious looks, "He has nightmares. He was screaming in his sleep."

The officer looked sceptical. "Must have been some nightmare."

Tala nodded. "If you'd like to have a look around, by all means." She made a sweeping motion with her hand, inviting them in.

The taller of the two held a hand up. "That's not necessary, Ma'am. We're just relieved that it was nothing serious."

She nodded tiredly. "Thankyou for your concern officers, but everything's fine. I just had to wake him up. He's fine now."

"Alright, Ma'am. Sorry to disturb your rest."

Tala waved them off. "I've got a five month old child – rest is foreign to me." She bid them a polite farewell and closed the door, resetting the locks. When she got back to the bedroom, Vince was waiting for her return.

He looked up at her sleepily from his pillow. "Well?"

Crawling into bed, "It was the police. Someone heard you screaming and called them."

"I was screaming?" He asked softly, his cheeks flushing a shade of pink. Tala nodded, running her fingers through his hair again. He immediately started to drop off.

"Sweet dreams, Vincent." She bent to kiss his lips then sat back, prepared for her all night vigil. At the first sign of another nightmare she would wake him, but for now she just wanted to watch her husband and daughter sleep.


	32. Things That Go Bump In The Belly

**A/N: Alright ladies and/or gentlemen.. An update! Don't you just love it? No song for this chapter as I can't remember what i was listening to at the time. Enjoy.**

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**Vince jumped, spinning around to look at Letty. Her shocked squeal had startled him and as a result, he'd knocked over the drink he'd just gotten himself. She was staying with him for the day to keep him and Aurora company and so Vince could keep an eye on her. 

He stepped over the wet spot on the carpet and gently took her by the elbow, sitting her down in a nearby chair.

"What's the matter? Is something wrong?" he glanced down at her slightly raised belly to where his niece or nephew rested, then back up to her face. "Is the brat alright?"

Letty nodded, distracted. She was rubbing her belly. "I think it just kicked." She said in awe, a bright, blinding smile covering her face.

Vince grinned, letting go of her elbow. "You're sure?"

"I – I think so." She lifted her shirt slightly and both she and Vince stared at the tanned skin curiously.

Vince knelt beside her. "Tal said she could feel Rory kicking about a month before I was able to." He shuffled a little closer. "Le's going to be so excited."

Letty bit her lip at the mention of Leon and Vince quirked a brow. "What?" he demanded.

"It's just – Le's been a little off lately. He's so enthusiastic about the baby, he gets excited over the smallest things," she caught Vince's knowing smile and knew he had been the same, "-but he's been really quiet Vince."

Vince nodded. "Jesse's birthday is tomorrow." He said simply, as if that explained everything. "He's missing him, I think." Fear bled into his eyes when he saw her eyes fill with tears. _Oh shit, I've upset her_ he thought miserably.

"Letty don't cry – please don't cry. I didn't mean to upset you." He pleaded, unsure of how to comfort her. He wasn't sure whether she would want him to touch her or whether she was going to yell at him. Tentatively he lifted his hand and rubbed her shoulder, wary.

Letty sniffled, wiping at the fat salty tears that spilled down her cheeks. "I want a hug." She mumbled, her voice wobbly.

Vince nodded, eager to stop her tears. He understood that she was emotional having already been through it all with Tala, but Letty was worse. Tala by nature was a quiet, sweet girl whereas Letty's character was stronger, more brash. Her mood swings were potentially painful.

"Bear hug or cuddle?" he asked innocently, standing up.

Letty wiped her face, then held her arms out to him. "Cuddle." She answered pathetically, snuggling into his embrace. "You know for someone with a bum arm – you give good hugs."

Vince chuckled, squeezing her slightly before pulling back. Relief flooded him when he saw her tears had subsided.

"Alright?"

She nodded sheepishly. "I feel stupid now."

"Don't," he insisted. "Tala was sobbing every five minutes while she was pregnant. Lots of cuddling."

Letty giggled. "I'll bet there was more than just cuddling going on."

He smirked. "Well – I have to keep my wife happy, don't I."

"You're a good husband, Vince." Letty said, looking up at him. "And you're going to make a wonderful brother in law one day. You're so good to all of us."

Vince shook his head and went to get a towel to mop up the mess he'd made when he spilled his drink.

"I don't treat you any different than I did before, Let." He argued, wiping up the mess.

Letty frowned at him. "Vince – we were lucky to get a 'boo' out of you two years ago. You were downright unpleasant."

He scoffed, laughing at her bluntness. "Don't hold back now, Let. Tell me what you really think."

She sat up straighter, slapping her hands down on her thighs. "Alright then! I think you getting caught on that truck is the best thing that could have happened to you."

"Excuse me?" he growled, unimpressed. Pregnant or not, Letty usually knew her bounds, but he felt as though she'd just stepped over them. "Fucking explain." He snapped. Being stuck on that truck had been one of the single most terrifying experiences of his life, the only other that likened to it was becoming a father.

"I didn't mean it the way you think, boo." She soothed. "I just meant that if that had never happened, you wouldn't be here now. You would still be chasing after that gutter rat and playing lap dog to the he-she."

Vince gave her a sideways glance, worrying the hem of the towel in his hand. "I suppose."

He had to admit she was right. If he had've heard Dom shouting at him to get back in the car that fateful day things would never really have changed. He would still be 'Vince', the teams muscle. Just a thug. Dom had never seen past the facade he put up. The man was supposed to be his best friend and he had never bothered to look too deeply beneath the surface and actually look at him.

Vince had owned a piano once, a Steinway grand that his grandparents had given him as a graduation gift. He had been stunned when they told him what they had gotten him. He had honestly thought the most he would get was a pat on the shoulder and a gruff congratulations from his grandfather. But the piano – that was unexpected. He'd loved that piano. Occasionally he would still catch himself playing in the air or against the table, his fingers pressing against imaginary ivory keys. Dom had never understood his fascination with the massive instrument. When he had sold it he had moped for weeks, but the look on Leon's face when he was presented with his Skyline made it well worth it.

Vince smiled to himself. He had caught hell from Dom for getting Leon a Skyline.

"Why did we take it for so long, Let?"

She sighed, snuggling against him to watch TV. "It was all we knew." She answered, "I tell you though – If I'd have known just how talented Leon was with his-"

"Over share." Vince rushed to cut her off, cringing. He smiled at her laughter. He loved seeing Letty so happy. It had been difficult to watch her become a shadow of her former self as her time with Dom progressed. Vince remembered her as a kid – bright, exuberant and so full of life. She had been a total tomboy, but had been a sweetheart at the same time. Her lust for life had faded once she got what she thought she wanted. Dominic Toretto. It hardened her and made her cold – untrusting of anything a man said to her. The only time she had seemed like her old self after that, oddly enough, had been when she was around Leon. He'd always managed to wrangle a smile out of her.

"I'm sorry I never told you – about Le."

Letty smiled warmly, shrugging. "He's mine now, V. Don't feel guilty about leaving me in the dark."

"Le's really private about everything is all and I didn't want to upset him. He was a wreck when he came to live with me in the first place and I didn't want to jeopardise his progress."

Letty's brow furrowed. "What do you mean 'he was a wreck'?"

Vince scratched his eyebrow absently, kicking his heels up against the coffee table.

"Leon showed up on my doorstep at one in the morning, Let. He was tired, sore, scared… Jesse threatened to kill me you know."

"Bullshit!"

Vince grinned at the memory of the scrawny blonde boy getting in his face. "Oh he did. I hit Leon and Jesse jumped all over me for it. Haven't smacked him since."

Letty picked up the remote, short fingernails picking at the buttons intently. "Vince?"

"Yeah?"

She looked up. "Did Leon really fall into a cabinet?"

His expression turned serious. "He's been telling you about his scars I gather?"

"I saw them and I asked."

Vince's eyes were dark with anger. "I swear if I ever get my hands on that bastard who helped him 'fall' .." he trailed off, letting the threat hang.

Letty's face twisted in confusion. "Helped him fall? Vince – what are you talking about?" she demanded to know, turning on the couch to face him fully.

Vince's eyes widened when he realised he'd opened his big mouth. _Oh shit_.

"It's not my place to say, Let. I honestly thought you knew – from the way you sounded.."

"Knew **what**?" she was getting frustrated now. "Tell me, Vince!"

He sighed heavily. "Leon got smacked around as a kid." He answered after a short silence. "He was placed in a group home until he could be put into a foster home, but he wanted nothing to do with that. So he skipped town, grabbed Jess and came here."

Tears pricked at Letty's eyes again. She knew how bad the abuse had to be for a child to get taken into protective custody. Horror gripped her when she started to piece everything together.

"Oh god – his scars.. They're from that, aren't they."

Vince gave her a solemn look. "I can't tell you anything I don't know, Let." He held a hand up when she went to protest. "He wont tell me either. I'm just assuming that's what they're from."

She sat back against the cushions and tucked her legs up against her chest. Vince rubbed her feet lightly.

"He'll tell you when he's ready."

"Vince if he wont tell you he's not going to tell me." She argued. "The man has a mind like a vault."

Vince nodded, resigned. "That he does, but you're still his first and only love, Letty. He can't keep it from you forever." He cocked his head to the right, "- Or.."

She perked up. "Or what?"

"I know it's sneaky and pushy – but Le can't lie to you Letty. He honestly cannot fathom the thought of telling you lies. You could ask him outright."

She bit her lip. "I don't want to upset him, Vince. Like you said, he's a private person."

Vince looked over the back of the couch at the sound of Aurora's cries coming from down the hall and rose to his feet.

"It's the only way you're going to find out." He reasoned, shuffling around the couch. "Then again – it's none of our business."

Letty stared after him incredulously. "You big shit! You don't just spring that on me then say 'then again..'!"

Vince's smooth laughter echoed down the hall. "Stressing isn't good for the brat, Letty!"

"I'll fucking stress you in a minute, Vincent!"


	33. Something In You Brought Out Something I...

**A/N: Thankyou to all my wonderful readers and reviewers! That's about it for now - song for the chapter is "Say You Will" by Fleetwood Mac. Kicks ass.

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It was coming from Rory's room. The quiet, deep dulcet tones of a man's voice singing almost inaudibly floated toward her as she crept down the hall. Her heart raced at the thought of the owner being Vince. He'd never sung for her before, not while he was sober anyway and that had been loud, off key and hilarious. That had been the night after Leon and Letty had first heard the baby's heartbeat and both men decided it was cause to have a drink – or twelve. They had ended up passed out on the kitchen floor of the firehouse after a full night of drinking, singing, drinking, celebrating and a little more drinking. Tala grinned at the memory. Her grin faded to a look of stunned hope when she heard the soft strains of a guitar join the singing.

Vince had been looking at his guitars more lately now that his arm was as healed as it was going to get. He still had pain, almost constantly, but it rarely affected him any more. He'd grown so used to it hurting him that he barely even noticed the pain any more, accustomed to it. Being an everyday thing for so long it had become natural for a constant ache to be present.

She got to Rory's door and peeked inside.

Rory was sitting up on the floor in front of Vince watching him with wide, wide blue eyes. Her hair had gotten longer and brushed her neck in baby fine dark ringlets. Her mouth was open slightly and she gazed at Vince's hands like they were magic. She was nine months old now and all signs pointed toward her being an exceptionally bright little girl. It was only when the doctor's had told her and Vince that their little girl was rather bright that Tala found out she got that from her father. The big oaf had neglected to inform her that he had graduated at sixteen after being bumped up a few years in school.

Tala smirked at the thought. That explained why Dom looked so much older than Vince. They had been in the same year in school but Vince was younger by two years. Because of his size nobody had even questioned his age and just assumed that the pair were both the same age when really they weren't.

Vince's hand left the strings of the guitar and he clenched his fist tightly, then flexed his fingers. He rubbed his forearm and looked down at Rory sadly.

"I'm sorry, princess. That's all I can play for you at the moment."

Rory's big azure eyes blinked at Vince, worried for her daddy. "Ow?" she asked him, crawling over to fill the empty space where he had previously been holding his guitar.

He nodded, holding out his arm so she could touch it. Her hands were gentle in their exploration of his damaged limb. The love Tala could see on Vince's face as he watched their child never failed to floor her. It was so blatant and obvious that even a blind man could see it clearly.

"Can you keep a secret, princess?"

Rory looked up at Vince, nodding her little head slightly. "Daddy..?" she climbed to her feet, leaning heavily against Vince's chest. He wrapped his thick arm around her and rubbed his beard against her cheek, smiling at her giggles. The pride felt showed on his face. Her first word had been dad at six months and she hadn't stopped saying it since much to his delight. He simply adored his little girl more than he cared for life itself. Tala knew there was a chance she would lose Vince to himself if anything ever happened to Aurora.

"All daddy's guitars?" he looked at her watching him avidly, "They're all yours. All of em."

Rory's excited squeals could have risen the dead. She may have only been nine and a half months but she knew what Vince had just told her was important. She may not have quite understood the gesture like an older child would, but she knew it was important.

"Another secret?" he asked conspiringly. At her nod he leaned in. "Mama's spying on us." He said in a loud stage whisper.

Tala erupted into a fit of laughter at the look on Rory's face when she stepped into the room. She walked over and sat beside Vince, leaning up to kiss him hello. She'd been working all day, just dying to get home to Vince and Rory. She sighed into his mouth, melting against him.

"You're way too good at that." She teased lightly, staring into his eyes.

Vince smiled and bent to kiss her again, Rory still held tightly against his chest. This time his kiss was a loud smacking one, making Rory giggle at her parents. Vince turned her in his arms and directed her toward Tala.

"Give Mama a kiss hello." He told her gently, hands hovering at her sides as she took wobbly steps toward Tal.

Once Rory was safely in Tala's embrace, Vince lifted himself to his feet and stepped over them. He started out of the room in a slight jog.

"Where you goin, baby?"

He grinned. "To get your present."

Tala flushed at the mention of a gift. She looked at her hand with her wedding and engagement ring on it and very nearly swooned. It was their one year anniversary that day and Tala had woken to go to work in the early hours of the morning to find a bouquet of dark purple Iris' and yellow roses on the night stand and a small card with a short but sweet message on it. The urge to just call in sick and ravage the sleeping Vince had been almost too strong to ignore, but she somehow managed.

Rory's azure eyes sparkled at her. She had her father's eyes, hair and smile and her mother's colouring. Tala had lost count of the amount of times she had overheard women commenting on what a beautiful pair Vince and Rory made as they perused the toy section in the supermarket. There were always comments about the adoring way Vince would give their daughter all of his attention as she waffled on in baby talk about something or other. It was times like those that Tala felt the most blessed. Sure Vince looked like a rough neck, but he was the most wonderful, loyal, loving husband and father that a woman could dream of. He was a big scruffy bastard, but he was their big scruffy bastard.

"Did you miss me?" Tala asked, smoothing Rory's wayward curls.

Rory's head bobbed up and down, her curls bouncing. "Uh huh! Daddy pay 'tar."

Tala smiled at Rory's fragmented speech. She was bright, but still only a baby. "I heard! He's so smart isn't he." She pressed a kiss to Rory's face, then looked at the guitar laying on the carpet. It was a Strat, she knew that much, but the colours on the body were so visually distracting that she was unsure as to how Rory had even been able to see Vince's hands past all the pretty colours. The body of the guitar honestly looked like a glorified black, red and yellow tie died t-shirt. It was worth a fortune no doubt. "Did you have fun with Daddy today?"

"Yep." Rory's fingers were playing with her necklace, the firefly Vince had given her their first Christmas together. She recognised the shape as the same thing that was on her bracelet and started ooh-ing and ah-ing. She was jabbering on at her mother when Vince came back into the room, package in hand, and sat on the floor again.

"You wanna help Mama open it?" he asked, handing Tala the rectangular box. Tala's eyes widened. That shape only meant one thing. Jewellery.

"Oh, Vince.."

He grinned, pushing it into her hands. He looked more excited about giving it to her than he got looking at the guitars in the local music store.

"Open it."

Tala let Rory rip the wrapping paper off it then she handed her to Vince so she could open the box. Inside resting against the dark green velvet was a white gold charm bracelet. A tiny guitar, a sun, a paint brush, a moon, an open scroll and a little VW beetle hung from it. Overwhelmed, Tala crawled over to Vince and kissed him soundly, snuggling into his side. Ever curious, Rory sought out to see what her daddy had given her.

"Vince it's gorgeous – I just.. Thankyou so much."

He wrapped his arm around her, rubbing her back. "Want to know what they all mean?"

"Please."

He removed his arm and pointed to the first charm. "OK, the guitar is obviously me. The sun is for Rory, because Aurora means 'dawn', the paint brush is Leon, the moon is Letty, because she likes night time so much and the beetle," he touched it lightly, "-is for the brat."

"What about this one?" she fingered the shiny scroll, then noticed there was writing on it. _June 17th _it said. The date they were married.

Tala sniffled at the beautiful gesture. She knew there was a lot of thought that went into the gift. "I love it, big guy." She kissed him again, "Thankyou."

He nuzzled her neck and hugged her with one arm while the other carefully held Rory against him. "Happy anniversary, firefly."


	34. Love's Life

**A/N: Well here it is, ladies and/or gentlemen (can't discriminate now)... The final chapter. I'd just like to thank everone who has taken the time to leave a review in the past few months. I've honestly been blown away by the response this story has gotten. Thankyou all so very much.**

**Song for this chapter (and i recommend tissues if you listen to it as you read) is "She's" by Ryan Cabrera. It's just beautiful.**

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* * *

**"Leon." Letty shook Leon's shoulder, desperately trying not to cry. "Leon, wake up." One hand was pressed over the swollen bump of her belly, the other tightly holding onto Leon's shoulder. "Leon.." her head swum and she squeezed her eyes shut. Tears started to leak from her eyes. 

"Please wake up," she whimpered, shaking him.

"Hmm? What is it?" he sat up, rubbing his eyes. He blinked slowly, noting the lamp was on and Letty was sitting up beside him. Crying. "What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

Letty heard the tenderness in his voice and broke down, clutching her belly. Leon noticed her holding herself.

"Letty.." he started, his hands starting to shake. "Baby what's the matter?" his fear grew as she leant against his side and sobbed even harder, unable to speak. Her tears soaked his neck. Leon felt himself start to choke on panic and stuffed it down.

"Baby, take a breath. Good girl, that's it – now tell me what's wrong." He insisted gently, rubbing her belly. He could feel the baby shift under his hand and he looked down, more nervous now. The baby was moving way too much.

Letty gasped against his neck. "It hurts, Le." She started to cry even harder, "Oh god, it hurts!"

Not knowing what to do, Leon fumbled for the phone beside the bed and hit speed dial one. Bringing the phone up to his ear he cradled Letty against his chest, whispering soothing nothings to her and stroking her hair, her back, her belly. The ringing on the other end stopped and there was a moment of silence.

".. ugh.. hello?"

"Tala!" he almost shouted down the phone, "There's something wrong with Letty. She's crying, pain.." he choked slightly, "Tala the baby." He felt his eyes fill with tears. "Tala help me.."

"Ok, sweetie, it's alright." She sounded wide awake now and he could hear Vince asking her what was wrong. "I know this will be awkward for you, but can you see if she's bleeding?"

"I.. hold on," he nervously checked, then brought the phone back to his ear. "Yes. Lots of blood."

There was a muttered curse and Vince's insistence to know what was going on in the background became more urgent.

"Leon, baby, call an ambulance. Right now. Just hang the fuck up and call an ambulance. We'll meet you there."

"O-ok." He hung up the phone then quickly dialled out again, this time calling an ambulance. Once that was done he wrapped a blanket around her and rocked her against him, holding her tightly as he whispered to her.

"It's alright, Let." He shook as he held her, noticing she was getting quieter now though she still sobbed against him. "Letty, please.." he could see the blood starting to soak through the blanket and started to cry himself. Downstairs he could hear a banging on the door and he gently eased Letty onto the bed, stroking her hair.

"It'll be alright, baby. I'll be back."

He took off in a sprint down the hall, thundering down the diamond plate staircase. He was at the door before he realised his left thigh was sticky with blood and terror gripped him. He flung the door open and back peddled to let the EMT's in.

"Sir – calm down. Where is she?"

Leon pointed up the stairs, still transfixed by the blood covering him. How hadn't he noticed that upstairs?

He stayed back as the EMT's got her onto a stretcher, firing questions at her left right and centre. One of the men turned to him.

"Alright, how far along is she?"

Leon shook, watching her lay limply on the stretcher. "Thirty six weeks." He said quietly. He met her eyes, long fingers reaching down to take hers. Her grip was weak, but she tried.

"Leon, I'm scared." She whimpered meekly.

Leon walked alongside the stretcher as they carried her down the stairs. He stuffed down the urge to just fall down and sob. He had to be strong for Letty and the baby. "It's alright Let – I'm not going anywhere. I wont leave you." He promised. "I swear."

* * *

"Leon!" Vince ran ahead of Tala as soon as he saw his little brother. Although he hadn't been prepared for the sight of him being smeared in blood. Nor had Tala. When Leon had said there was blood she thought he meant just a bit, but from the looks of him Letty had lost an incredible amount. 

Leon saw Vince coming but couldn't bring himself to move. He remained slumped against the wall, his face itchy from tears shed in the ambulance, his limbs heavy.

Everything hurt yet he'd done nothing to become injured.

"Le – what's going on?"

He shook his head, staring at the blood on his leg. "I don't know," he answered softly, tearing up again. "She's in the OR now – they wont tell me anything."

Tala sat on his other side as Vince settled down to his right.

"Did they say what was wrong?"

Leon rubbed at his face tiredly. "Something about her being abrupt." He looked at Tala hopefully, but he had a sinking feeling in his gut. "That – that's not so bad is it?"

She took his hand, stroking the back of it. "That depends on the severity of the case."

Vince looked at her over Leon's head. His expression clearly spoke volumes. He knew that the amount of blood on Leon told of the amount of blood Letty had lost. One look at Tala's face and Vince almost crumpled. Things weren't looking good.

"I don't know how long she'd been trying to wake me up," he said, staring straight ahead. "I was just so tired and I only got home from work just after one. I didn't know she was trying to wake me up."

There were people rushing about everywhere. Some were doctors, some were nurses and orderlies, others were family members of people being admitted. The room was bedlam, save for the quiet corner where Leon sat with his head against Vince's shoulder. Both Vince and Tala had one of his hands in theirs.

Tala let go of Leon's hand and stood up. Not knowing exactly what was happening was killing her. She had no idea how Leon must have felt. "I'm going to see what's going on." She told Vince softly.

He nodded, wrapping an arm around Leon's shoulders.

She had barely gotten three steps away from the brothers when a doctor came out of the OR. Judging from the scrambling sound behind her it was the one who had been operating on Letty.

Leon appeared at her side, chewing his nails. "What's going on? What – please.."

The doctor gave him a gentle smile tinged with a hint of sadness.

"Leticia suffered what's known as a placental abruption."

Leon frowned. "I'm a fucking mechanic, not a doctor! What does that mean?" he demanded.

Tala took his hand, stroking his knuckles. "That means that the placenta came away from the wall of her uterus, Le."

He shook slightly, his entire body fraught with tension. "Are – are they alright?"

The doctor smiled. "You have a beautiful little boy, Mr. Orello. Despite his ordeal he seems perfectly healthy."

"A boy – it's a boy." He looked up at Vince. "It's a Cade."

"However-"

All three froze and Leon slowly turned to look at the doctor. "-however?" he asked, paling. Vince's arm curled around his waist and Tala's fingers squeezed his.

Tala could feel the dread building up in her chest. She knew that look. She'd worn that look before.

"Leticia lost a considerable amount of blood. Between the abruption and the emergency caesarean she was struggling as it was."

Leon swallowed thickly. "You said was." His voice was almost a whisper.

The doctor nodded sadly. "I'm sorry, Mr. Orello. There was nothing we could do for her."

Vince gaped. "She's-?" at the doctor's nod he hung his head. There would be time for his own tears later, but now he had Leon to worry about. The younger man was eerily quiet and was just staring at the doctor.

Finally, "Did – did she see him?" his breathing was rapid and shallow but his face showed no sign of emotion.

"I'm afraid not."

Leon looked at the floor and shook his head, silent. Tala and Vince hugged him from either side. No sooner had both wrapped their arms around him did his legs give out from underneath him and the three sunk to the floor in the middle of the waiting room.

"I want her to come home with me..." he mumbled into Vince's chest. His voice cracked. "I want her back."

Tala rubbed her hand up his bare back as he shook silently against Vince, tears streaking down her cheeks.

"Jesse will take care of her for you, Le." Vince whispered, kissing his hair. "She's in good hands."

Leon lay against him, stunned. Everything was coming crashing down. Letty was dead. His heart swelled with love for the child he hadn't seen yet, but burned with the knowledge that he would raise him alone. For the second time in as many years one of the most important people in his life had left him. He felt sick. Letty was dead.

"I want her back."


End file.
